THE printed page is facing its biggest threat with the introduction of the first electronic book that people can read for hours without eyestrain.

Sony's Reader is the size of a paperback but can store hundreds of books. When the cover is lifted, books are displayed on a sheet of electronic "paper", one page at a time.

Although electronic books, or e-books, have been around for several years, previous versions, using LCD screens, have never caught on. The biggest complaint is that readers' eyes quickly become tired from the glare and flicker of the conventional computer screen.