The only time I really get to do any “fun” reading is on vacation. During those rare but wonderful times I tend to burn through a book a day on average. A week’s worth of books can take up a whole lot of space in a suitcase, not to mention the fact that they weigh a ton. That is a whole lot of book schlepping for an eight day trip and is reason enough to use an eBook reader.

Moreover, the convenience of simply pressing a button to turn the page is great when laying on the beach or reading in bed.

During my recent vacation my “new” (read- “permanently borrowed from my mother-in-law who wasn’t using the one I bought her last year“) Sony PRS-500 Portable Reader was awesome.

I had thought about getting the Amazon Kindle but it is quite pricey and I am more than a bit concerned about the ergonomics of it since many users report issues with the “Page Forward” button being too easy to unintentionally press. Oh yeah, and you can’t get the thing right now anyway.

Reading on the Sony Reader is a joy. It is easy to use and within a short while you don’t even notice the brief “page flash” that is typical of current epaper technology.

Eight books later I am more sold than ever on the concept of eBooks.

But that’s not what blew me away last week. This was…

…The screen is amazing– even in full Caribbean sunlight is was clear and easy on the eyes.

After a week with the Sony Reader one thing is clear– I won’t be going back to dead tree books again.

The first generation PRS-500 Sony Reader is currently available at Clearance Club for just $219.

Sony has the current sleeker version, the PRS-505, for $299 and, ironically, it is available from Amazon for just $275.