Oh no! Just when solid competition for the Kindle shows up in the form of Barnes & Noble’s well-received Nook, it seems that e-book makers want the tiny market to implode.

Exhibit 1: IREX’s “premium” $449 e-book reader. It’s got a generous 8.1-inch screen, a svelte (if homely) look and some delicious functionality, but it’s $449. Have we learned nothing?! Available (though backordered) at Best Buy if you’re so inclined.

Exhibit 2: Nook’s severely limited lending feature. Think long and hard about which fellow Nook-owning e-bookworm will get your 2-week loan of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” because it is the first, last and only time it will ever happen. So much for leveraging social networking(ish) capabilities to drive book sales.