Book retail chain Waterstones will be among the outlets stocking the reader, which will cost £199 and can store up to 160 books, features an e-paper display, and supports a range of file formats.

With e-books expected to account for around 1% of total sales by 2010, figures in the UK industry have rallied to support the printed matter.

Andrew Brown, director of corporate affairs at the BPIF, said: "Does this latest launch spell the death knell of print? Of course not, if anything it could turn more people on to reading."

He added: "People said the same about the internet. While print may have dropped proportionately in that time, in absolute terms it has grown."

Brown added that the clear advantages of a printed book such as portability and average cost further its strength: "It has certain qualities."

In addition to stocking the new reader, Waterstones is also offering thousands of e-books available to purchase from its website, which can then be transferred directly to the reader device.

Aaron Roach, business development manager at self-publisher and on-demand book printer Printondemand-worldwide, said the two media can work together.

He said: "With printed books, you have something that you get a sense of progress from. Electronic media definitely has a future but the paper industry is not slowing down.

"Print and electronic media can work alongside each other but e-books certainly still have a long way to go."