(Fortune) -- Read any good e-books lately? It's a question coming soon to a water cooler near you.After years of trying to convince readers to ditch their hardcovers and paperbacks in favor of digital readers, electronic-book manufacturers are having their moment in the sun. Hot on the heels of the success of its Kindle e-reader, online bookseller Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) is widely expected to unveil a new version of the device next week.
Sony (SNE), meanwhile, has been heavily marketing its electronic reader, and industry executives say more tablets for electronic books are on the way.
E-books are gaining fans among commuters and road warriors. Mike Downs, a Kindle owner who travels frequently as a marketing consultant for a tech company, recently wanted to read The Game Changer, by Procter & Gamble (PG, Fortune 500) chief A.G. Lafley and consultant Ram Charan. "I downloaded a sample chapter right then and read it at the airport," he says. "When I finished, the Kindle asked me if I wanted to buy the book." Downs did, and read it on the flight home.
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