[Scroll down for NBR's eBookomatic feature comparison table]

Sony announced a snazzed-up e-book Reader in the US today, with 3G and a 7-inch screen.

NBR rather liked the look of the extra realestate; the six-inch screens sported by the Kobo and Kindle only allow two or three paragraphs onscreen, leading to constant page turning (Kindle also comes in a DX version with a 9.7-inch or iPad-size touchscreen, but that model is not available in NZ).

Unfortunately, the 7-inch, 3G model won’t be released in New Zealand - at least not yet.

But we will get two models slightly down Sony’s food-chain: the 6-inch Sony Reader Touch Edition ($399; pictured) and the 5-inch Reader Pocket Edition ($299).

Both models will be available from October.

Neither have 3G, but both can play audio files (in MP3 or AAC format). Like the higher-end Reader’s touchscreen, that's a unique edge over the Kindle (though not the Kindle, which can play MP3s).

Sony will use Whitcoulls 2 million title download service (also the Kobo’s default) for Reader content.

Both, like the Kindle, have built-in dictionaries (a feature missing on the Kobo).

Both Sony Readers have 2GB of internal memory - twice that of the Kobo and enough for around 2000 ebooks.

The Pocket version of the Sony Reader is the lightweight champ at 155g.

The Kindle weighs 240g; the Kobo 221g.

An iPad, by contrast (which will run Kindle’s software reader), weighs 720g - too much heft to be held in bed.

While reclined in darkness, I have, however, appreciated the iPad’s backlighting (even if it does chew the battery within a day).

I also really like the fact the iPad was touchscreen - especially when you’re reading a word, and don’t know what it means. Instead of it niggling away at the back of your brain until you relent and leap out of bed to find a dictionary, you can simply touch a word for a definition to pop-up.

So I’m looking forward to seeing how the display goes on the Sony Reader Touch Edition. NBR has a review unit on the way ....

The NBR ebookomatic feature table

(Click table for larger view)

NOTES (click table for larger view)
1) Listed on Amazon in US currency only. Kindle Wi-Fi: $US139 ($NZ184) + $US20 delivery = $NZ210
Kindle Wi-Fi + 3G: $US189 ($NZ250) + $US20 delivery = $NZ277E-book titles: a number of US and
2) Screen size: on the diagonal
3) International newspaper and magazines are also available for Kindle
4) ePub is an open standard. Google has recently converted 1 million of its library of scanned books to the format
5) Kindle and Kobo have software versions that can be installed via Apple’s AppStore. Amazon’s Whispersync also tracks what page you’re up to if you hop between devices.
6) Based on 10,000 page turns