Thanks for all the replies.
Getting my hands on either device at a meet is not going to happen - personal circumstances dictate I am a homebody right now, hence my saying that I can't see either device in the flesh for the forseeable future and that is not going to change. Thankfully there is always product return.
The font sizes on the Ilead and the Cybook don't seem to be too far apart looking at the screen shots (don't have a printer so I can't print them out to get a real feel for it).
The larger screen of the Ilead would means I'd get more words per page with larger fonts. I read quickly so I'd be turning the page forever with a smaller screen I expect but well, I could deal with it. I don't fancy converting everything to be readable on the Sony so that one is out.
A question about eink --
Currently I read large print (meh - not large enough !) books with a lamp over my shoulder to help bring up the contrast (warm ears here we come). It has to be very bright (I have myopic macular degeneration and cataracts forming - as I said, poor eyesight) so this also puts the non eink EB 1150 out I expect.
As eink devices are not backlit, does this mean that shining a lamp on them will make them easier to read in the same way that shining a lamp on a paper book makes it easier to read (for me anyway) ?
Question questions. Thanks for your patience.
Rachael