It’s just a concept, but this student-designed ebook reader looks a lot better than the competition:
It could probably stand to be a little thinner, but the simple touchscreen user interface idea is nice. Plus, “the traditional stitched leather cover brings the feel, tactility and smell of old style books to LIVRE.” I’m betting that Kindle doesn’t offer much by way of smell.
Via Engadget.
info-mational 
I love everything about my Kindle (yes — the design is beautiful to me, I like the keyboard, etc.) except I would like a larger screen. I think it is larger on the I-rex, but am not sure of the name. But I would like Amazon to buy them, and then redo their reader to Kendle-ize it for those of us willing to pay more for a larger screen, keeping the keyboard, which I know makes it larger still, but that’s okay with me. But they should also keep and offer the current model.
I know the present size is based on a paperback, but that’s not the only sized book by any means. I think everything about the Kindle could easily continue to work with that larger screen.
I don’t want them to do that for the Sony 505 — it doesn’t offer anything to the present Kindle, which is much better in every way that counts.
Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.
thanks for the comment, charles – my kindle-bashing is largely related to the kinds of design shortfalls that you mention, the small screen being a major one. i like your idea of offering different styles of readers, but i’m not sure i agree that a larger screen should cost more. overall i think it would probably do a lot more for the continued innovation of ebook platforms to keep the competition wide open (i.e. preventing amazon from snapping them all up).