Nine years after Gemstar brought the Rocket E-Book and thus one of the pioneers onto the market, the time now really does seem to be ripe: the second attempt with electronic readers (and e-books) is showing promise. Rocket has failed to share in the conquering advance of its successors, however: it was already taken off the market in 2003 and would scarcely have been able to hold its own alongside its competitors. The mobile readers of today like the Kindle (Amazon), Sony Reader, ILiad (iRex), Bebook (Endless Ideas) and Cybook (Bookeen) are much handier and with the use of so-called electronic ink, much easier on the eye. The text can be easily read even in direct sunlight or from a slanting angle.

At the same time, it is now quite easy to load book contents onto the devices, including using mobile downloads or WLAN. So far and with only a few exceptions, the devices can be used for reading only. But with the next generation, like the ILiad V2 or the Kindle, users will be able to write with them, so that they can underline important passages or write their own comments or notes in the margin.

The technological development of the modern devices - an overview is provided in the Wiki MobileRead – is still very much in its beginnings. Plastic Logic is expected to bring an approx. A4-size e-reader with a touchscreen onto the market in 2009. The iRex Digital Reader scheduled to come out this month offers a similar format. Polymer Vision sets out to prove that small can pack a punch and according to its own information, has developed the first pocket e-reader, the Readius, a fold-up thanks to e-paper.

Anyone wanting to look at this little handheld will have a chance at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Polymer Vision is presenting the Readius on Wednesday at the Fair in the Forum Innovation (Hall 4.2 P 421). Directly afterwards, Amazon introduces the possibilities that the Kindle has to offer for publishing companies - and perhaps the device itself. In turn, the Sony Reader is the focus of a so-called Digital Lunch on "Digital Publishing and the EPUB Standards. Effects on Publishers, Channels and Devices – featuring the Sony Reader" on Thursday at the Fair (Hall 4.C "Alliance" Room). The ILiad can be viewed on the iRex Technologies stand at the Digital Market Place (Hall 4.2 H 451). The libreka! stand is two floors below (Hall 4.0 D 1339), where the MVB Marketing- und Verlagsservice des Buchhandels GmbH will be presenting various providers of e-readers, as well as the entire e-book value-add chain.

The topic of the e-book is certain to come up in other events at the Book Fair. Around 200 special interest events involve the issue of digitisation in general.

Sources: Spiegel Online 18.09.08, Neue Zürcher Zeitung 23.08.08, MobileRead Wiki