Firstly, with the Elonex ebook in one hand and the Sony Reader in the other, you’ll notice the difference in weight. At just 150g it’ll feel remarkably light weight to the Sony Reader in the other hand as well as many other ebook readers out there on the market – most of which weigh in at around 180g to 250g in the case of the Sony PRS-505. It’s great for those you have experienced a tired arm in bed with some of the others. In size, the Elonex is slightly longer and narrower but still casing a good 6 inch screen (187×117x9mm).

It comes in a rubber case, rather than a leather book-like cover and that decision by Elonex would suggest that this ebook reader isn’t trying to closely mimic the real book experience apart from the simplicity. However, a leather case is optional as part of the accessory pack. The screen is very good with no glare or flicker. It has no backlight either so it’ easy on the eye and great for reading in a range of outdoor and indoor lighting. The 6 inch e-Ink screen can the viewed in both landscape and portrait formats and it allows you to choose from 8 different font sizes which is great for young and old and those with eye sight problems.

Elonex boasts an impressive battery life with up to 8000 page transitions in one full charge – enough to last a few days with some long periods of reading. For those who don’t know much about e-ink technology, we judge battery life in page turns because power isn’t used until the page is changed, so you can effectively have the ebook reader on for years if you don’t turn the page!

Anyway, this battery life is up there with the best and you can load on up to a 1000 books with the external 4gb memory card that comes with the £29.99 accessory pack. The casing is sturdy, yet not a head turner as already mentioned. The functionality of the user interface is clear and simple. It’s definitely an ereader that just gets on with what it’s meant to do without the fuss. You still get the slight glitches and delays you’d see from the Sony Reader, and Kindles but it’s not a big issue, especially with this new Elonex ebook. With 100 all time classics preloaded (which is getting pretty standard now) you do have the extras, including a multimedia button dedicated to favourite game Sudoku. Why they’ve made such a fuss about this feature I don’t know. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker but I’m sure Elonex did their market research and it would be a cool 20 minute distraction away from the ebooks for some.

The biggest drawcard for the Elonex ebook reader will be the partnership with Borders UK and their impressive selection of over 45,000 ebooks available online. All in all though, the Elonex is a solid contender in that part of the ebook reader market. It’s not trying too hard to be something that it’s not. It does what it says on the tin (yes, the sudoku game is mentioned a lot) and it does a good job. At $189 it’s 10 quid less expensive that the Sony Reader but you’ll be less likely to make your decision on price, and more likely to weigh up the design. If you’re a fan of the Borders brand, and you want a solid ebook reader performer then The Elonex ebook reader will be a strong possible for you. Borders will still be selling the iRex iLiad alongside the Elonex but it now has an ebook reader that’s more accessible in terms of price.

Full list of Elonex ebook specifications coming soon

It comes with a 512mb of memory which can store up to 1000 books, that can be extended to 8000 with the £30 optional accessory pack that contains a 4 gb SD card plus a protective leather case. 100 classics are already preloaded on for free. At 9mm thick and only 180g (compared to the Sony Reader PRS-505 at 260g) it’s thin and light but Elonex’s big claim is the long battery life of around 8000 pages between charges.

The Elonex ebook reader is priced at £189 so right in there to take on the Sony Reader PRS-505 and the more recent Cool-er ebook reader. The Elonex supports ePub and Adobe formats and with the sheer weight of titles on the new Borders ebook store, you won’t be shorty of reading material.

At the launch today. Sam Goult, Marketing Manager at Elonex comments “While the eBook sector is still very much in its infancy, new products like the Elonex eBook give readers a whole host of new ways to enjoy reading their favourite books. At 180g the eBook is so thin and light is perfect for the daily commute or taking on holiday with you. The Elonex eBook is not only easy to use but easy on the eye. It has the great functionality that you can change the font size, rotate the screen, read in direct sunlight and because the screen is two and half times sharper than a computer screen it’s great for people who struggle with their eyesight”

Sam Goult also went on to commit Elonex to a long future in the ebook reader market with promises of further functionality improvements that will not only enhance many people’s futures, but also the environment.

He said “Elonex sees the future of homes, schools and businesses involving eBooks as a way of distributing information, with the ultimate goal of a paperless society which will significantly decrease the nation’s carbon footprint.”