The Sony Reader is an electronic book capable of storing up to 160 of your favourite novels. It is roughly the same size as a paperback and has 200MB of memory.
And in the current digital age, some enthusiasts say it will be a must-have for gadget fans.
Dubbed the 'The ipod for book lovers', the e-book costs £199 and comes complete with pre-loaded novels and a CD-ROM containing 100 classic titles including Pride and Prejudice, The Jungle Book and Great Expectations.
Weighing just 260g and with a battery life withstanding up to almost 7,000 page turns, the Reader is light and practical and seems to tick all the boxes to be a technological triumph.
Steve Dowdie, Managing Director at Sony said: "The reader allows people on the go to carry a wide variety of reading materials whether they are on a flight, in a waiting room, or outdoors.
He added: "The Reader offers a 'book-like' reading experience unavailable with other electronic devices."
With state of the art E-ink technology the e-book allows readers to use the gadget in bright sunlight and the functions include the option to magnify text for those with poor eyesight.
Fionnuala Duggan from publishing giant Random House said the e-book showed a lot of promise.
"This will provide the digital platform for books in the future and I think it will be around for a long time".
Waterstones beat rivals Amazon to join Sony and distribute the Reader across Britain and John Howells, a spokesman for the company, was thrilled to be involved with the product.
"We are incredibly pleased to be involved with the Sony Reader. It is the best of its kind on a market and we know we are onto a winner."
Author and ambassador of the Reader, Toby Young said: "The great thing about these electronic books is that in the long run they will benefit writers, creating an easier way to enable first-time authors to get their work in front of the public.
"That will be a revolutionary change," Mr Young said.
However, the product has generated plenty of division. Maria Phillips, author of Gods Behaving Badly, said the Reader simply does not appeal.
"I just don't see why this is better than a book. I like being able to just go and pick a book up off the shelf.
She also remarked on the cost of the item.
"Why would I pay for something that costs the same amount of money as 40 paperbacks? I just can't see the point."
Only time will tell whether the book has been closed on traditional paperback reading.
