There are an incredible number of manufacturers currently fighting it out in the new, but ever expanding, e-book reader market. The high level of competition is a strong indication that rapid growth is anticipated in this sector. And this will be good news for consumers as manufacturers strive to enhance specifications and offer lower 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’s little doubt about the current market leader. 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. When you think about it, it’s a backhanded compliment to Amazon that every new e-book reader in development (and theres no shortage of these, the list above is hardly exhaustive) and which shows any promise whatsoever, is immediately dubbed the “Kindle Killer”. Right now, the Kindle is setting the benchmark which must be achieved, and then bettered, in order to achieve success.

If it appears as if the Kindle’s present leadership position is unassailable, then it’s probably worth considering that Amazon were a somewhat late entrant to the market when the Kindle was released. The original e-book reader is generally considered to be the Franklin eBookMan which launched in 1999 – ten years 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 option of wireless connectivity – with no ongoing fees – was another big selling point.

Just as Amazon came from nowhere to secure the top position, any one of the other competitors could do exactly the same – and probably faster than you might imagine. Barnes and Noble for example, have more than one million titles available for their new Nook e-book reader. They have also elected to use the ePub format – which most of the readers in development seem to be going for. The Kindle e-book format is proprietary. Purchase a Kindle book – read it on your Kindle (or maybe on your iPhone, but certainly not on any other reader).

The Nook will also allow you to “lend” books to your friends and family for a fourteen day period. During this time, the borrower will be able to read it and the lender will no longer have access to it on their Nook – just like lending a “real” book in fact. The only difference is that you will be guaranteed to get it back.

The next generation Sony reader – the Sony Daily Edition – will be a large display format, like the Kindle DX, but unlike the DX it will have touch screen control options. It will also allow users to download e-books from participating public libraries on loan. Again – just like a traditional book.

Many of the other readers under development incorporate features that could well make them more appealing than the Kindle. It looks like Amazon have a fight on their hands – but it seems unlikely that they will give up their top dog position without a struggle. Considering their innovative role in the development of the market to date, and given the importance of the Kindle their business strategy, it seems logical to expect them to have a few new ideas yet to be revealed.

Given the level of activity amongst all of the different manufacturers, it looks like the e-book reader market is about to enter a period of exponential growth. It is to be hoped that the fierce competition that seems about to be unleashed will drive prices lower and transport e-book readers out of the high tech domain and into mainstream personal mobile tech market.

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