CNET Networks, Inc. a media company in San Francisco and California, United States rated e-book gadgets, kindle get 3.5 stars and so does Sony.

According to CNET.com, out of 5 stars, Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-505 and Amazon Kindle are given 3.5 stars while version 2 of Sony b-book reader PRS-700BC got only 3.

The rating based on prices, bad points and good points. Sony PRS-505 which was launched Nov 14, last year is rated 3.5 with its distinguish features like excellent high-contrast screen is easy to read in bright environments, 128 MB internal memory, with expansion slots, adjustable font size, good battery life, displays PDF, Word files and plays MP3s.

The flaws were that downloads are expensive and only available through Sony’s online store, AC adapter is an optional accessory and PDF files are hard to read because you can’t magnify them.

Closely released Amazon Kindle, November 20, gets 3.5 out of 5 stars with the features of excellent high-contrast screen, tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines and blogs available from Amazon.com, built-in free wireless and SD card expansion slot. Its flaws were that design is ergonomic, but not very elegant, content is expensive, black-and-white screen is less impressive for periodicals and Web content, lacks a true Web browser and its cover is clumsy. Priced $359 which is higher than Sony PRS-505 ( $275).

With its free built-in wireless capabilities and PC-free operation, Amazon’s Kindle holds a distinct advantage over Sony’s Reader.

For Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-700BC, sleeker than the Kindle, it takes one step forward for Sony digital readers and a couple leaps back. It costs $400, but the flaws seem to be noticeable as the screen is more glare-prone and doesn’t have as much contrast as competitors, built-in lighting is from screen periphery and not true backlighting. There is no support for Audible audio books and no built-in wireless access.

Sony Reader Digital Book PRS-700BC only gets 3 stars.