I present Ereader Features Part 2, hot on the heels of its predecessor Ereader Features Part 1. Just to recap, we havecovered the outer Ereader, its size, weight, colour, screen size, resolution and settings. Now we stumble into the slightly murkier territory of the varied Ereader controls and the almost unexplored technical aspects of their operating systems, capabilities as well as a quick look at the prices you might expect for the more well-known Ereaders. The first three aspects to be addressed are the controls, the download and operation capabilities and their battery life.

Now, controls will obviously vary depending on the provider of whichever Ereader you are looking for but to stick to the basics there will be ‘on the case’ controls or ‘touch screen’ controls. The Amazon Kindle has a simple control system, whereas the Kindle Touch utilizes the touch screen control system, or the differences between the Sony Ereader control systems.

In general if the controls are on the case you will find navigation buttons below, and the buttons to turn the page on the side of the Ereader. Not all Ereaders follow this, but the more popular ones do. Of course, touch screen is another matter altogether and can vary greatly between Ereaders, but then the buttons are rather self explanatory.

There are many opinions regarding the faster download speed of Ereaders, this can be dependent on the location where you are downloading. The faster Ereaders with access to the 3G network include the iRex, Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony Reader. These are only based on download speed in kilobytes per second, and not the actual processor speed.

The battery life of your Ereader is a very important issue to take into consideration. First you need to decide just how often you will be using your Ereader and for how long. If you’re like me, reading frequently and for up to several hours at a time and in a variety of places, then look for something with a long battery life. If you read less, then you may simply want to focus on a fast processor when it comes to your Ereader.

Few of you may be interested in the technical aspects of different Ereader’s Operating Systems, it’s still worth a mention if you are interested in the vast collection of free books accessible with a Google Android Operating System, as well as the connectivity with other Android devices such as tablets and smart phones and the downloading of apps onto your Android Ereader. This OS is available in the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Entourage Edge, the Sony Reader PRS-T1 and the new Spring Design Alex eReader to name a few. The next most common OS is Linux, used in the Kindles, Pocketbooks and other Sony Readers, as well as many other Ereaders. The least used but still existing OS is Windows found in the Hanvon WISEreaders and Aluratek Libre Air Ereaders.

So you now know all these things that you will find in your Ereader, but what might you expect to pay for them? Kindles: Anywhere from $80 for a used non-touch to $380 for a shiny new DX. The Barnes & Noble Nook Touch are going for around $100, non-touch around $150. A Kobo can be picked up around $100, and Sony Reader the same unless you’re going for a Daily Edition which is quite a bit more. These are the most well-known Ereaders, giving a guide on prices at the moment for Ereaders in general.

There you have it, everything you need to know when it comes to finding your chosen Ereader (and some extra stuff as well!). If you're a little confused just remember, there's the outside features: size, weight, colour, screen and controls, and the inside features: battery life, download capabilities and operating system. Hope you enjoyed it!