With the successful debut of Amazon’s Kindle and the announcement of several e-book readers hoping to make their entry into the market in time for the 2009 Christmas season, the potential for trees to be saved has been increased significantly.

Even with recent attempts by book publishers to “go green” with recycled papers and tree-free paper, the majority of books continue to be printed on paper. This process is not only expensive for both the publisher and the reader, but harmful to the environment, resulting in the loss of too many trees and the use of harmful chemicals to produce ink and bleach the paper.

Here is a look at some of the readers and how they are used. While it is tempting to wait a year or two for cheaper and better technologies, the amount of trees that you can save between now and then depends entirely on your appetite for books, and only you can properly gauge if that is a good idea.

Amazon Kindle – $299.00
The Kindle holds over 1500 books, allows you to sample first chapters before purchasing a book, and allows you to purchase most books for $9.99 or less. Its larger counterpart, the Kindle DX, is $489.00 and holds 3500 books, with a larger screen. The Kindle also translates text into speech, a huge step forward for blind readers.

iRex E-Book Reader – $399.00
This reader has a larger screen than the entry-level Kindle, 3G wireless connectivity through Verizon in the US, and a leather cover. It hits the stores at the end of October. It also supports Adobe PDF format, which makes it easier to store your books.

Sony E-Reader – $400.00
The E-Reader features a 7 inch touch screen and will be able to use several formats for e-books when it is ready. It was introduced in August.

If you are a huge bibliophile like me, you can reduce the floor space of your bookcases by a huge amount and donate all of your old books to a library. Everyone wins!