The upcoming eSlick Reader doesn't look like much. But its target price point of $230—significantly less than the Amazon Kindle and Sony e-book readers—could make it a tempting buy, especially since it will be the first hardware e-ink device to support eReader files, Wired reports.

The support for eReader files is important. That's a popular format that currently displays on smartphones like the iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile and Symbian-based handhelds. This means that people who already have a well-stocked e-book library can buy the eSlick Reader as a nice screen upgrade from what they're currently used to, while circumventing the annoying DRM problem that plagues the Sony and Amazon devices—which only work with e-books purchased from their respective stores.

Of course, things can change if Amazon unveils the Kindle 2.0 next week.