[cartz]

I initially got a taste for ebooks with my Psion 5mx. Then a number of months ago I bought 3 Palm M125s from ebay that have been serving my family very well (the screen being better than the Psion for reading, despite being smaller).

I keep putting off an e-ink device in the hope that one closer to my ideal will materialize. But I'm now of the opinion that I'm probably best to buy a Sony now, but I have the following concerns:

1. How cold does the device get on a cold night in bed? Reading paper books in winter I'll be swapping hands as it gets pretty cold outside the bed covers. Is the metal finish on the Sony going to make this a greater problem for me?

2. I live in the country and enjoy reading on the veranda, with bugs, flies and smoke from the BBQ swirling around. Is the Sony only a device for sterile cities or should it survive out here?

3. A step further - I love to go hiking. Could the Sony survive in a backpack on a camping trip? What if the screen has rain fall on it?

4. Does anyone have an idea of how many years we can expect to get from the battery in the Sony? Historically I've loved the Psion 5mx and now the Palm M125s partly because they can use rechargeable AA and AAA batteries respectively. There's every chance those devices will still be going strong for years and years simply because the batteries are always replaceable. My ideal ebook reader would run on AAA or AA batteries but the way things are now it seems I could be waiting forever for such a device. Then again, maybe the question is a bit redundant - I don't know how long the e-ink screens are going to last anyway.

I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,

cartz.