A FEW years ago, e-books were a novelty. Standalone devices capable of reading the format were not widely available, the number of titles was limited and the experience could hardly be termed user-friendly, writes CIARA O'BRIEN

Things have changed significantly in recent months, though the Irish market is still in its early stages. Although some publishing houses still have to be persuaded to fully embrace the e-book in Europe, there is definitely potential.

And there has been a flurry of activity in recent weeks in the sector. Last week Google announced it would open an e-book store, Google Editions, which will be browser-based – neatly sidestepping any format rows. It will be accessible by any device with a browser, including mobile phones. The store is expected to launch next year with 500,000 titles.

And then there was the launch of the Kindle into international markets on Monday. The appeal of the Kindle is partly its wireless function, which allows customers to buy directly from the Amazon Kindle book store or have newspapers delivered directly to the device.

Outside the US, the technology will rely on 3G networks. As long as the device has 3G coverage, users will be able to grab books from the online storage locker that Kindle customers get, and buy books on the go. When 3G coverage is not available, the service will use 2.5G or 2G networks.

The deal has been struck between Amazon and ATT, as a result of which Amazon pays the download charges. That means customers aren’t stuck with a large data bill for accessing books.

The Kindle also includes extras, such as a built-in dictionary that you can access while you’re reading, the ability to take notes and highlight sections, and change the font.

The Kindle is not without its competitors. Barnes Noble announced on Tuesday it would sell its own e-reader, the Nook, shortly to customers in the US. The device has a colour touch screen and links directly to the Barnes Noble e-book store. However, European customers currently can’t access e-books from the BN store, as a US billing address is required.

In Ireland, the Sony Reader is one of the more widely available e-book readers, although fans of the devices can search out others online. The company recently launched two new versions – the touchscreen Touch edition, and the smaller-sized Pocket version, joining its existing PRS-505 reader.

The market is a growing one for the electronics company. “The market is still very small, and it is very much an emerging product,” said Ken Halpin, category marketing manager of network and digital imaging products for Sony Ireland. “It has potential.”

Sony has its own wireless e-book reader, the Daily Edition, which is available in the US. There are no immediate plans to bring it to the Irish market just yet, however.

“The use of 3G is a step forward, but it’s relatively untested in the Irish and UK market,” said Mr Halpin. “We will be looking very closely at the 3G technology and bringing a product to the market.”