[jferreir]

Background:
As a graduate student, I read between 5-10 journal articles per week. This can become quite costly - both for myself and the environment - so I'm investigating eBook Readers as a potential alternative to printouts. Ideally, I would like to read/comment on these articles during my daily commute. The journal articles I read usually have very simple formatting with little to no diagrams (see attached).

Requirements:
- eInk technology (or something comparable)
- PDF, doc, rtf compatibility
- Highlight/comment functionality
- Built-in dictionary
- Decent battery life
- OS X (Mac) compatible
- Expandable memory (optional)

Concerns:
- PDF formatting/orientation
- Price ($400 CAD max)
- Lifespan of device (?)

Sony PRS 600:
- Would I have to convert/manipulate each PDF file? If so, is this time consuming?
- Is it possible to read PDF files in 'portrait' view?
- What is the general lifespan of the device? How about the battery?
- Is there a better alternative?

I have no prior experience with eBook Readers, so I would appreciate any/all advice. Also, can someone please enlighten me on "Pixel Qi" technology, and why I should/shouldn't be concerned with it?

Thanks for the help!