With its 8.1 inch screen, the iRex fits squarely between the Kindle DX (10”, $489) and the upcoming Sony (NYSE: SNE) Reader Daily Edition (7”, $399). It’s not as expensive as the Kindle DX, but it’s still costly—and it’s not close to the $100-$150 a recent report suggested it will take to move from very niche to mass market.

It also takes awareness, which is partly where Best Buy comes in. The NYT says the electronics chain is adding a new area to stores (after limiting e-reader sales to a few stores and online), and is training “thousands” of employees in how to talk about the iRex, the Sony Reader and the e-reader concept. (Maybe we should set up an e-reader secret shopper challenge to see how it worked.) Kindle isn’t sold in stores but Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) tries to match would-be buyers with owners in their area for hands-on demos.

—Barnes & Noble: Borders has had Sony kiosks for years. IRex already has a deal to include the Barnes & Noble eBookstore but it could have been more; Kevin Hamilton, the CEO of iRex in North America, told the NYT Barnes & Noble was offered the chance to have its brand, not the company’s, on the device but no agreement was reached.