There are currently a large number of manufacturers fighting it out in the nascent, but rapidly expanding, e-book reader marketplace. The high level of competition is a good indication that rapid growth is expected in this area. And this strong competition will be good news for consumers as manufacturers fight amongst themselves to enhance specifications and reduce prices.

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

There can be little doubt about the market leader at the moment of course. The Kindle reader from Amazon has not only dominated the market, but has been driving and shaping its development since it hit the market in November 2007. Now into its second generation with the Kindle 2 and the large display Kindle DX, Amazon has a 60% share of the American e-book reader market. The Kindle reader is now their top selling product and, on October’ this year Amazon commenced shipping the international Kindle 2 to over 100 countries around the world. It’s a backhanded compliment to Amazon that almost every new e-book reader in development (and there’s no shortage of these, the list above is far from exhaustive) which shows any potential whatsoever, is instantly christened the “Kindle Killer”. Currently, the Kindle sets the benchmark which must be attained, and then bettered, in order to achieve 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 original e-book reader is generally agreed to be the Franklin eBookMan which was launched in’99 – a decade ago. The Sony PRS was also available prior to the Kindle’s 2007 launch.

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 option of wireless connectivity – with no ongoing fees – was another big selling point.

Just as Amazon came from nowhere to secure the number one position, one of the other contenders could do exactly the same – and in the short term. For example, Barnes and Noble have more than one million titles 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 permit you to “lend” books to your friends and family for a fortnight. During this time, the borrower can read it and the lender will be unable access to it on their Nook – exactly the same as lending a “real” book. The big advantage is that, unlike a dog eared paperback, you can be sure that you will get it back.

Sony’s next generation reader – the Daily Edition – will have a large format display, just like Amazon’s Kindle DX – but unlike the DX it will have touch screen controls. It will also allow users to borrow e-books from participating public libraries on loan. Again – just like a conventional book.

Many of the other readers in the pipeline have features that could well make them more appealing than the Kindle. Amazon definitely have a fight looming – but it seems sure that they won’t surrender their number one position without a struggle. They have played a pivotal role in the development of the market up to now, and bearing in mind the critical importance of the Kindle to their current business model, it seems reasonable to expect them to have a few new tricks up their corporate sleeve.

Considering the high level of activity amongst all of these top manufacturers, it seems reasonable to predict that the e-book reader market is about to start growing even more rapidly. In all probability, the fierce competition that about to be unleashed will create a downward pressure on prices and take e-book readers out of the high tech domain and firmly into the mainstream personal mobile tech market.

Check out the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader and discover how to get free Kindle books.