Washington  - Amazon. com got people talking again about electronic book readers recently when it unveiled the second version of its Kindle e-reader. This handheld device, with its high price tag but hefty library of titles behind it, has a relatively small but avid user base. Amazon's Jeff Bezos and others, however, believe that the e-reader is destined to displace paper as the distribution medium of choice for books, yet most people have yet to even hold an e-reader. What's the fuss about? Read on for some answers.

Q: What's the attraction of e-readers?

A: Potentially, e-readers are to books what MP3 files were to audio. E-readers offer the type of portability, versatility, and cost effectiveness that book lovers steeped in the paper-based world can only dream about. Imagine, for instance, trying to lug along 40 or 50 hardcover books on vacation, only to find that the book you'd really like to read is one that's still sitting at home on your shelf. With an e-reader, you can have all those books - and many more - in the palm of your hand.

E-books also, of course, can save you a tremendous amount of money, not only in terms of the initial cost of buying books, which can be cheaper in their "e" versions, but also in the cost of storing and moving large numbers of books.

There are many other advantages as well. You can search e-books in a way that's simply not possible with traditional books. E-books can show links. They can be "transformed" into easier-to-read versions by changing the font size of your e-reader. You can acquire material for your e-reader much faster than you can acquire a typical book. And finally, e-books save trees - potentially a lot of trees.

Q: Is the Kindle the only e-reader available?

A: No. The Sony Reader is foremost among the competitors of the Kindle. The Sony device is a bit smaller and weighs a bit less, but the screen sizes are identical. Both use the same technology to display text on the screen. The most important distinction is that the Sony Reader does not rely on a proprietary file format, as does that Kindle reader. That means with the Sony device, you are not locked in to buying books from Amazon.

Both devices are expensive, with the Kindle at 369 dollars and the Sony Reader at between 268 and 399 dollars, depending upon the model.

There are other competitors, as well, including Bookeen's Cybook Gen 3 and the iRex Digital Reader, but neither has the following of the other two devices.

Perhaps the more significant competition for the Kindle, the Sony Reader, and other dedicated e-readers, however, will likely come from mobile phones. It's quite possible to read e-books on Apple's iPhone, for instance, by using an application called Stanza, that turns the device into a book reader. Google's G1, put out by T-Mobile, can be used the same way. While the screens on these devices are arguably too small to be read from comfortably, their market penetration and multifunctional design may make them the most formidable competitors in the e-reader market.

Q: Is the Kindle available outside the U. S.?

A: No, and this is a major problem for widespread adoption of Amazon's device. The problem appears to be that the Kindle relies upon a wireless transmission device that's compatible only with a network in the U. S. Also, there are plenty of distribution rights issues with publishers that have to be ironed out before the Kindle is offered around the world.

That doesn't mean, however, that those interested in e-readers can't get in on the action, regardless of where they live. The e-reader alternatives mentioned above, as well as many contemporary mobile phones, can be used as e-readers.

Q: I like the feel and the smell of books. Why would I want to replace that with a cold e-reader?

A: You may not want to, and only those with a financial stake in e-readers are predicting that the transition away from conventional books will take place rapidly.

On the other hand, if you're like most people, think about the ways you've already abandoned paper-based delivery media for the printed word. Many, for instance, now get their news online - by choice. As a result, some newspapers and some magazines are scaling back or eliminating their print-based publications entirely. That may not make you happy, but it is in response to the choices that people are making about how they want their reading material delivered.

It's unlikely that e-readers will ever be able to replace the tactile pleasures that come from snuggling up with a good book, but their convenience and advantages over traditional books may make the transition more palatable. For instance, with an e-reader, you can essentially carry around a collection of hundreds of books in a device that fits in your purse. You can flip from one book to the next with ease, place as many bookmarks as you'd like, and, in the case of the Kindle, even have the book read to you when your eyes get tired.

Q: I get eye strain when staring too long at a computer monitor. Aren't e-readers hard on the eyes?

A: Not at all. The Kindle and Sony Reader use an E-ink screen that is substantially less reflective than a typical computer monitor, displays no flicker whatsoever, and is optimised for easy viewing of text.

Q: Where can I find e-books?

A: For titles compatible with the Kindle, stick with Amazon's Kindle Store. For Sony's Reader, Sony has the eBook Store (http://ebookstore.sony.com). But both devices can display PDFs, which you can purchase or download from a variety of places. Do a search for "ebooks" from your location to find online stores near you. To view PDFs on a Kindle, you'll need either to avail yourself of Amazon's PDF conversion service or use the experimental e-mail conversion procedure outlined at http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html? nodeId=200140600& #convert.

Most e-readers can also play audio books in MP3 format, which you can find online at a number of locations. There are plenty of dedicated audio book sellers - including Audible (http://www.audible.com) and Simply AudioBooks (http://www.simplyaudiobooks.com), which are paid services. But there are plenty of free audio book sites as well, including Librivox (http://librivox.org), AudioBooksForFree.com (http://www.audiobooksforfree.com/home), and Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org).

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