hi, I have recently acquired a sony reader ( swapped for my apad, too hard to read in sunlight). But I find the Kindle a better machine. Purchasing books is not a problem. I have purchased 1 or 2 and yes i do resent that I can not "loan" them to a friend. But having said that I discovered this website and purchased a couple of DVDs full of mobi format books that worked perfect on the Kindle. Great collection and great value.
http://elecbusiness.com/. Have not purchased a book since and the battery life is way better on the kindle with the added bonus of getting ones emails in a wifi free zone. I'll recommend the Kindle Reader with wifi myself. Plenty of hotspots in hotels and Restaurants now days. No need to get the 3G one, dearer and unpredictable.