Currently there are a large number of manufacturers jostling for position in the relatively new, but rapidly growing, e-book reader market. The high level of competition is a clear indication of the level of growth expected in this sector. And this strong competition is going to be good for consumers as manufacturers fall over themselves to improve specifications and offer lower prices.

The list of major players who have e-book readers in various stages of development – and in some cases, ready for imminent release – is impressive. Asus, iRex, Sony, Plastic Logic, Barnes and Noble – not forgetting Microsoft and Apple – are all queuing up and fighting for their share of the market.

There’s not much doubt about the current market leader of course. The Amazon Kindle reader has not only dominated the market, but has been pivotal in its development since it was launched in November 2007. Now into its second iteration with the Kindle 2 and the large screen Kindle DX, Amazon has secured a 60% share of the American e-book reader market. The Kindle reader is now their number one product and, on October 19 this year, after what seemed like a long wait, they started shipping the international Kindle 2 to over 100 countries worldwide. In a way, it’s a kind of backhanded compliment to Amazon that almost every new e-book reader that is announced (and there are plenty, the list above is far from exhaustive) and which shows any promise whatsoever, is immediately named the “Kindle Killer”. At the moment the Kindle is the standard which must first be matched, and then exceeded, in order to assure success.

Just in case anyone thinks that the Kindle’s current leadership position is bordering on unassailable, it’s probably worth remembering that Amazon were a late entrant to the market when the Kindle was launched. The first e-book reader is generally held to be the Franklin eBookMan which launched in 1999 – a decade ago. The Sony PRS was also released before the Kindle’s launch in 2007.

The Kindle was such a phenomenal success for Amazon due to a number of different factors. First of all, Amazon had a strong association with books, being among the largest online retailers. They also offered a huge choice of books to download – at the moment they have in excess of 300,000 titles on their Kindle store. The wireless connectivity facility – with no ongoing fees – was also a big selling point.

However, in exactly the same way that Amazon came from nowhere to take the lead position, any one of the other manufacurers could easily do the same in the near future. Barnes and Noble, for example, have over one million titles which will be available for download to their new Nook e-book reader. They will also use the ePub format – which the majority of readers in development seem to be favoring. Kindle's format is proprietary. Purchase a Kindle book – read it on your Kindle.

The Nook will also allow you to “lend” books to your friends and family for a couple of weeks. During this period, the borrower will be able to read it and the lender won't have access to it on their Nook – just like lending a “proper” book actually. The only difference is that you will be assured of getting it back.

Sony's next generation reader – the Daily Edition – will feature a large screen - just like the Kindle DX - but it will incorporate touch screen control options - something both the DX and the K2 are lacking. It will also permit users to download e-books on loan from participating public libraries. Again – just like a traditional book.

Most of the other readers in development have a number of features that may make them more appealing to consumers than the Kindle. Amazon have a fight on their hands – and it seems sure that they won’t relinquish their top position without a fight. Given their innovating role in the development of the market thus far, and considering the importance of the Kindle ebook reader to their business, it seems reasonable to expect them to have a few new ideas yet to be unleashed.

Considering the high level of activity amongst all of the key manufacturers, it looks like the e-book reader market is about to start expanding even more rapidly. Hopefully the rampant competition that seems about to be unleashed will force prices downwards and take e-book readers out of the high tech domain and into mainstream personal mobile tech market.