Kindle

The Reader Daily Edition has been designed for reading the larger formats of newspapers and magazines. But Sony has been surprised by the demand for its new device, and may not be able to fill orders in time for Christmas.

Electronic book readers allow users to read fact and fiction on a tablet device that downloads content. They are popular with readers and travellers who prefer to avoid heavy books. At the moment, Amazon and Sony dominate the market.

Readers want to experience The Lost Symbol on paper, or on a Kindle from Amazon, a Reader from Sony, or listen to it on their MP3 players. The audio version — which runs to 17 hours — has become the fastest selling audio download ever.