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Now joining Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader in the growing e-Book market: Best Buy and Verizon.

Both brands will carry the latest entrant into the e-reader market, the iRex DR800SG from iRex Technologies, a division of Royal Philips Electronics.

The IRex joins a market that saw sales last year of e-books hit $113 million. The move also sees the e-reader focus more on consumers than it had previously.
Starting next month and just in time for the holidays, the unit will be sold in Best Buy alongside the two category leaders.

Additonally, the unit will use Verizon’s wireless network to offer titles to consumers, including those overseas, something the Kindle can’t offer yet.

Price however, is still an issue for many. Despite Sony’s $199 entry-level Reader Pocket Edition, iRex enters a market that sees the average reader costing $400.
Its $399 price tag and 8.1-inch screen though is still competitive with the $489 Kindle DX’s 10-inch screen or the 7-inch screen of Sony’s Reader Daily Edition at $399.

Additionally, the ePub-compliant iRex links with titles from book retailer Barnes & Noble, expected to enter the market with its own reader and e-book store later this year.