Hanover (Germany), Dec 6 - All of the competitors in the current generation of electronic reading devices are equally good when it comes to presenting digitalised books. They offer long battery lives and their displays are easier on the eyes than the displays found on smartphones or laptops.

That's the conclusion reached in a recent comparison of six current models by German computer magazine c't.

The review showed that each of the tested devices has strengths and weaknesses: the Digital Reader 1000S from Irex, for example, is not a good choice for novel readers, since the model has few options for buying best-sellers. On the other hand, only one single device was capable of handling large-format PDF files.

The N518 from Hanvon offers a good symbol function. Sony's Reader possesses touchscreen functionality, but quality of the display itself is nevertheless somewhat behind the others. Five of the tested models were available for between 200 and 300 dollars. The Digital Reader 1000S and its 700 dollar price tag was the exception. (dpa)