Sony’s Reader, a portable e-book containing a screen with near-paper levels of contrast, hits the US market today and will soon be available through retailers like US bookstore chain Barnes and Noble.

More than 10,000 eBook titles are available at Sony’s Connect site to download to the Reader via PC software.

Ron Hawkins, Sony Electronics’ vice president of Portable Reader Systems marketing said:

“Today, we’re writing a new chapter in digital technology for reading. The Reader fulfills the promise of electronic reading in a way that no other device has been able to do. The Sony Reader allows people to take a library of books and other reading material with them wherever they go.”

The venture has support from many traditional publishers like Harlequin, Penguin and Random House.

The Sony Reader has a battery life equivalent to about 7,500 continuous page turns, whilst its high-resolution electronic paper display delivers a realistic print look that results in crisp text and graphics that are easy on the eyes and readable even in bright sunlight.

The reader retails for about $350.