Group Test: electronic book readers

Like the iLiad, the Sony and BeBook devices have 3.5mm jacks. The CyBook has a 2.5mm jack and to make matters worse it is recessed to such an extent that neither of the two 3.5-2.5mm adaptors we had in the office would fit.

Not a great MP3 player

By nature, these clever E Ink displays don't draw power unless they are changing so all four devices will last a long time on a charge. Sony claim 6800 page flips, Bookeen claims 7000 for the CyBook, while Endless Ideas claims 8000. iRex simply states a battery life of 15 hours, but that's for a mixed use regime of taking notes, reading documents and generally mucking about.

In real terms, a full charge will probably see most users through the thick end of a week of reading. A word of caution, though: our test CyBook developed a habit of crashing regularly, though because it's a used and doubtless abused review sample, we're chalking this down to one-off issues with our device rather than any systemic failings with the hardware or firmware.

Comes with Wi-Fi... at a price

So, how big a hole will these things put in your pocket? Direct from the relevant companies, the CyBook will set you back £180, the Sony Reader £200 and the BeBook £220. The iLiad costs an eye watering £450. Of course, it comes with Wi-Fi, an Ethernet port in the travel hub and a touchscreen so you can make notes on it, but all that doesn't really have an impact on its abilities as an ebook reader.