This is probably because I'm not in US, but if I was going to give an eReader to one of my "non-tech-nerd" relatives I would probably go for a Sony or whatever other ePub-reader I could find. Then I would tell them about the Swedish e-library and they'd be happily borrowing and transferring with the help of their computers (after their friendly computer literate relative - me or one of their kids/grandkids - had some software installed and a step by step laminated how-to guide handed over).
If they wanted to buy their own books they would do that from one of many Swedsih online stores, using a computer to do it (and a trusty cable to transfer it to the reader - no wireless hokus pokus, thank you very much). They wouldn't even know what Amazon was!
But - as I said - all this probably because I'm not in USA.
I'm actually amazed that most of my book-reading Kindle owning US friends didn't even have a clue that libraries even had eBooks until I told them.
Having said all that, I really don't like "my reader is better than yours" discussions. I really hope every single person is happy with his or her reader, whatever brand it is. I'd say most of them has something good going for them, and all of them are great little gadgets!
(But my reader REALLY is better than yours! Even if you have the same brand and model! REALLY!
)