What is it with Amazon, anyway? Why doesn't it seal the deal by making the Kindle look stunning and sleek? The Kindle 2 is better than the original, but it still looks like it was designed by the makers of the Commodore 64.

Second, the Sony Reader 700 has two things many people sorely wish the Kindle had: a touch screen, which lets you turn pages by swiping your finger, and built-in illumination, so you can read in the dark. (The Kindle screen requires external light to read--like a book.)

So it's a total Kindle-killer, right?

Actually, not in the least.

The beauty of the E-Ink screen on both the Kindle and the Reader is that it simulates the look of ink on paper. The black particles that form the images on the page are right there on the surface of the glass, as though printed there; it's extremely satisfying to read at long stretches.

But in order to add the touch screen and the lighting, Sony had to add new layers on top of that screen--and it totally ruined the effect. Now you're painfully aware that you're looking at the words through a couple of transparent layers, and contrast suffers as a result; worse, the touchscreen layer introduces an annoying reflective glare that's almost impossible to eliminate in any light. It's deeply frustrating.

Now, let me hasten to point out that the 700's touchscreen and side lighting aren't mandatory. Sony sells a $300 model, the 505, without these elements. A Sony rep explains that on this model, "the screen resolution and lack of back light allow for comfortable, long-form reading; the 700 is designed more for interactive reading -- searching, jumping around in the text, highlighting and taking notes."