The technology is ideal for users of all ages to enjoy while reading their favorite books. Apples iPad and the Amazon Kindle are probably the biggest players in the market, but there are plenty of alternatives available. According to IT Portal supermarket giant Asda is set to offer the Kobo Wi-Fi eReader for only £67.

This compares to the £87 that will get you the Amazon Kindle and comes only a few weeks after rival retailer WHSmith announced plans to sell a Kobo eReader. The Asda device will be available in-store and online from this Friday, but there is a good chance it will sell out really quick. The device is only 10mm in thickness and comes with 100 classic titles preloaded as well.

The retailer is also going to offer customers the Touch version of the Kobo eReader for £107. It is being reported that book retailer Waterstones is also getting in on the eReader market as well. The Kobo doesn’t have such a large library of titles available though, and it is unlikely they will be cheaper than Amazon’s offerings.

Prices for the titles have remained surprisingly high and are normally set by the publishers, and can even cost up to £11.99 in eBook format. Will you be buying someone an eReader this Christmas?

The British retailer made its first move into the market today with the announcement of a deal with the Canadian company Kobo. Many have been concerned what the impact of the electronic books would have on traditional books sales. The Guardian is reporting that chief executive Kate Swann said the move will complement its traditional business.

The devices will be available from the company’s retails stores as well as its online retail arm. People who decide to purchase the eReader will have access to the country’s largest eBook catalogue. There will be over 2.2 million books alongside 1 million free titles, and there will be two versions of the Kobo eReader available.

The retailer also announced a 4 percent increase in profits despite sales dropping by 5 percent. Book sales dropped by 4 percent, but its outlets situated in train stations and airports produced record profits for the chain.

WH Smith has 612 retail stores and said profits were helped as it focused on books instead of CDs and DVDS. There will be two models available which include the £89 basic model that has Wi-Fi, and the £110 version that has a touchscreen.

Do you think this is a good move by WH Smith?

According to an article by David Carnoy over on the cnet.com website, the upcoming Kobo Wi-Fi Touch Edition e-reader features a 6-inch Pearl e-ink touch screen (which is the exact same screen as the Kindle’s e-ink screen) with Neonode zForce infrared touch technology.

It also comes with Wi-Fi wireless connectivity (b/g/n), a MicroSD card slot that will add up to a 32GB card and 1GB of onboard storage. The Kobo Wi-Fi Touch Edition e-reader supports PDF, Adobe DRM and ePub, and features multiple languages including Dutch, English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.

The compact and elegantly designed Kobo Touch Edition – which weighs just 7.05 ounces and has a battery that lasts up to two weeks – comes in black (with a black back) and white, with a choice of iliac blue or white back. It looks like Kobo is aiming to release the Touch Edition in several countries.

Are you thinking about buying a new e-reader? If so, would you consider the Kobo Touch Edition?