When I tried to read the SoftBook outdoors, the reflection of my face was as visible as the text.

CNN: Are digital books good enough to curl up with?

They promise two new e-books this fall that'll be smaller and lighter than the current Rocket and SoftBook models and with more capacity, too.

CNN: Career - E-books: Now in the careerist's bookbag

To buy text for the SoftBook, you plug the unit into the nearest phone line, and it then dials into the proprietary SoftBook download server.

CNN: Are digital books good enough to curl up with?

The SoftBook is also much larger than the Rocket EBook: About the size of an inch-thick stack of letter paper, it weighs a hefty 3 pounds.

CNN: Are digital books good enough to curl up with?

Both Rocket and SoftBook have been purchased by Gemstar, the people who provide many on-screen TV program guides and the same people who just bought TV Guide.

CNN: Career - E-books: Now in the careerist's bookbag

Once loaded with text, both the SoftBook and the Rocket EBook act as single-screen tablets that let you use simple buttons and a stylus to select titles, "turn" pages, search and highlight text, and make notes.

CNN: Are digital books good enough to curl up with?