LaptopMemo Holiday Gift Guide 2009: E-Readers

Here I’ve picked the best e-readers to buy for the holidays, but unfortunately the Barnes & Noble Nook has been so popular that the second wave of shipments is delayed till early January. But I’ll put it in here anyway. Remember that this list can be updated with new gadgets, so you’ll always have something to look forward to.

Amazon Kindle

As much as Amazon’s Kindle line is getting bashed around lately, it still deserves a place in this gift guide. It can download e-books in less than 60 seconds over its 3G network (which you’ll never have to pay for), and has a library of over 360,000 books, and can hold up to 1,500 on internal memory. It can also read the content to you, except in the case if the publisher disables that feature. $259.00 from Amazon. You can buy it here.

Main Features:

• 6-inch E-Ink display
• 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″ size
• Global 3G wireless that you’ll never pay for
• 360,000+ e-books available
• No-glare screen that’s easy on the eyes
• Great prices for books – $10 and up

Amazon Kindle DX

Do I need to need to explain this one, too? Same as the regular Kindle except: a 9.7″ diagonal E Ink display, a larger size of 10.4″ x 7.2″ x 0.38″, and can hold up to 3,500 books, instead of only 1,500. $489.00 from Amazon. You can buy it here.

Main Features:

• 9.7″ diagonal E Ink display
• 10.4″ x 7.2″ x 0.38″ size
• US-only 3G wireless that you’ll never pay for
• 360,000+ e-books available
• No-glare screen that’s easy on the eyes
• Great prices for books – $10 and up

Barnes & Noble Nook

We all are very surprised (and mad) that probably the best e-reader of all time is out of stock. Those of you who ordered early are getting you Nooks in time for Christmas. Didn’t order? Not so much, you’ll have to wait till January. But the Nook is so cool I had to list it. You can pre-order it here.

Main Features:

• First e-reader with Android 1.5
• 6-inch E-Ink screen
• 3.5-inch color touchscreen
• Replaceable battery that lasts 10 days with 3G off
• World’s largest e-book library: 600,000 +
• 2GB memory built-in to hold 1,500 books
• Lastly, the Kindle-killer price of $259

IREX DR800SG

The IREX DR800SG is the first e-reader to have connectivity to the Barnes & Noble’s E-Bookstore on its resume. Its massive screen size of 8.1 inches and a stylus to navigate the interface to read books is impressive. Also is the price of — oh wait, IREX has been so inconsistent with the release date (and price) that I actually don’t know what’s next. Oh well. Pre-order it from BestBuy here for supposedly $449 (actually the page is down, but expect it to be back up in time for the holidays).

Main Features:

• Ability to download books via Verizon Wireless 3G network
• 8.1 inch screen with stylus and leather case
• Can hold up to 1,500 books
• Access to B&N E-BookStore

Stay Tuned for the “LaptopMemo Holiday Gift Guide Part 3: Laptops. That’s going to definitely be awesome.