I have a Sony Reader and have to say, with some reluctance, that it is terrifc. The reluctance comes from the fact that I now believe the Sony Reader and the Kindle are mature products with a potentially high impact, if even a few core readers move to this technology. 

Using the Sony Reader feels like reading a book. Downloads are easily done. T cost of a bestseller is about a third the price of a print version.  Other than the fact that electronic books cannot be put on a shelf and admired, they are now a serious alternative to print material. I have been doing a lot of travelling lately and can now carry many books in a very small space.  My Sony Reader is light, compact, and the font size can be changed to allow for large print reading. I didn't want to like it.  But I do.