Before having an ebook reader I was a book hoarder; my flat was filled with dusty, slowly mouldering editions of precious reading material. When I moved provinces in southern China, my biggest, heaviest suitcase was full of books I had accumulated from trips abroad, weekends in Hong Kong or Macao and huge shopping binges at good bookstores I had come across when I chanced to visit a larger Chinese city. I was ecstatic to receive an Amazon Kindle when I visited family in the USA last year at Christmas. Now I no longer wince when I finish a book, thinking 'uh oh, will my supply last?' I now have not only thousands of books waiting for me to read them but dozens of my favourite magazines and newspapers are available for me to download and read, wherever I am.

I'm not alone either. The ebook reader fad has caught on in big cities worldwide, especially among students happy not to have to carry loads of weighty textbooks and commuters trying to stay awake on long train rides. But there's another demographic that benefits hugely from an easily portable, long-battery-life device that allows them to read digital books: anyone, like me, living away from their home country. Reader gadgets like the Kindle, the Nook and apps for mobile phones and notebook computers are changing the way bibliophiles everywhere can bring their reading list anywhere.

But where should an old China hand start? An internet search for 'ebook reader china' produces such a plethora of products that it's hard to get a handle on which ones might be good for the average user.  With that in mind, here's a quick look at the major ebook readers in China and internationally that can support English language ebooks and get you reading at the touch of a button.

1) The Kindle Vs. Nook Debate

For English speakers, the most famous ebook readers are the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook, two very functional readers connected to huge book retailers in the United States. The Sony Reader probably comes in third. When you buy a Kindle, you know you have access to thousands of ebooks at Amazon.com. The Nook guarantees that American readers will be able to browse easily through the two million titles on the Barnesandnoble.com website to pick out their reading material. Sony's Reader, though not connected to a bookstore, does have a library of titles for users to purchase. Unfortunately, downloading ebooks from the Barnes and Noble website to a Chinese IP address is not allowed, although you can always put content on the device using the USB connection to your computer. Also, unless you use a middleman, such as Chinese retailer website Taobao.com, ordering the ebook readers from abroad ranges from difficult to impossible. Luckily, there are plenty of other ebook readers to choose from here in China, and their popularity is growing – over a million units were sold in China last year.

Whether to get a Kindle, a Nook or a Reader is a little like the debate between an iPhone and an Android phone, with each camp having dozens of small supporting arguments. The prospective shopper needs to ask him/herself what is more important—connectivity, battery life, colour versus black and white screen displays, and the all-important size issue.

2) Domestic Devices

The same criteria apply when looking at ebook readers produced and sold by Chinese companies. Here are a few of the most popular:

• China-based ebook reader company Hanvon has several models in five, six and eight-inch screen sizes. They have a range of functions, including (depending on the model) wireless internet capability, note-taking functions and audio. Browse their products at www.hanvon.com.
• Tianjin Jinke Electronics Co. produces the Hanlin dedicated ereader devices, which include 5 and 6 inch screen readers that support English and have wifi and 3G connectivity. Their specifications can be seen at: http://www.jinke.com.cn/compagesql/English/embedpro/prodetail.asp?id=20.
• Onyx Boox readers also give you the option of wifi access, several ranges of screen size and the ability to use a stylus to write on the screen and have your notes saved. They can be compared at http://www.onyx-international.com/en/
• Camera manufacturer Aigo also has a pair of sleeker well-marketed 7 inch tablet PCs with e-reader functionality. Unlike some of the dedicated e-readers above, these have colour displays. Take a look at http://en.aigo.com/ProductsList.aspx?class=31

Price isn't as much of a consideration factor as you might think, with all of these readers—even the foreign ones—priced between 1,000 and 2,000 RMB, depending on size and features.

3) The Multifunctional Phone

Like the Aigo products, most Chinese ebook readers in use now are not just dedicated ebook reader devices, but ebook reader apps on mobile phones or smaller tablet PCs. These are based around the idea of connectivity with alliances with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. These telephone companies are giving customers the option of buying plans with wifi or 3G technology, an iPhone-esque experience and ebook reader applications to add to their overall experience. The availability of these options depends on your region within China.

4) Building your Personal Library

Once you've got your ebook reader or a reading app for your telephone or computer, it's time to start thinking about building your own digital library. Besides the library that whichever company you bought your reader from has, you can find thousands of books available online. You can even buy CDs of book collections for sale on sites like Taobao.com in China or Ebay.com elsewhere.

Some ebook readers can read certain formatted books better than others. The Nook, for example, can read PDFs more beautifully than the Kindle does. However, there are simple-to-use programs that will convert books or other reading documents into the appropriate format for your device. For example, Calibre is a free ebook manager and format converter that gets generally good reviews.

Since getting an ebook reader, I've still been reading paper-and-ink books. I still go to bookstores here in China and browse through the titles and fondle the pages once I find one to bring home. But the quantity and quality of the books that I read has vastly improved. 

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