Electronic Book Readers

Electronic book readers are catching on. Some say they're going to revolutionize the way the world reads. Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader are the two biggest sellers. Consumer Reports ran a side-by-side comparison.

With the Kindle 2, the type is crisp and you can easily change the size. Turning the page is about as fast as turning the page on a real book, and if you get tired of reading, the Kindle will read to you.

The Kindle is surprisingly simple to use. No computer is needed. You connect wirelessly to Amazon's huge collection of e-book titles, pick the book you want, and it downloads directly to the Kindle in less than a minute. There's no connection charge. A bestseller costs about $10.

As for the Sony Reader, the newest one has the same screen size as the Kindle and costs about the same, around $350. Sony's bookstore has fewer titles, but you do get easy access to Google's library of free classics.

But with the Sony, there are a lot more steps. You have to install software on your computer, then download the book, and then you have to transfer it with a USB cord. For e-readers on the go, Consumer Reports says the wireless Kindle is a lot easier to use.

Amazon is planning to introduce a new Kindle, "the DX" this summer. The company says it will have a bigger screen than the Kindle 2, and that it's designed for people to read newspapers easily. It'll have a bigger price too - $489. Consumer Reports will be checking it out as soon as it's available.

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