Hello, varmemester. You have been doing some good and thorough research. Here is some help with your other questions.
6. You are correct. Unfortunately the browser does not work in landscape mode. Therefore it works best to visit the mobile-version of a website (if one exists).
7. Sony very rarely has firmware updates on their ereaders. Although the reader software is very stable compared to other brands. I think firmware updates would be more useful to add extra features rather than fix programming bugs. There is a "Check for Updates" item in the ereader settings. I imagine you click that and it searches over Wi-Fi for an update. The Sony Reader Library also has an option to Check for Updates and then transfers it to the ereader via USB cable.
The BHPhoto $199 is a really great deal. Good luck!
