[delphin]

I have a small Gateway Netbook as well, so like you I decided to pair it up with an eInk reader device, with specs pretty much exactly as you described.

The reader I chose was the Sony PRS-650.

I was lucky to snag a 650 several months back before they became so scarce for $199, so I was even able to match your price range requirements.

Sadly this is pretty tough to do these days, so I am not sure how useful this information is, other than the fact that I can confirm to you that your first instincts were correct; the Sony PRS-650, along with my Netbook is an incredibly nice combination.

The eInk screen on the Sony does work well as an alternative to a back-lit screen to reduce reading fatigue, and for times when I do need color or higher resolution, my Netbook fills my needs in this category quite nicely without the need for a tablet.

Because a tablet profile device concentrates it's weight along it's narrow lower edge when you prop in up in your lap, they tend to feel much heavier than they are.

My Netbook weighs in at about 2.7 pounds, which may sound heavy compared to a Nook Color at only a pound or so, but because the weight is spread over the full base of the machine when it is setting on my lap, I have always found my Netbook feather light, where the first time I propped up a Nook Color in my Lap, I thought "Wow, is this thing Heavy!"

I think that another reason that I thought the Nook Color seemed a bit heavy, was that it's almost exactly TWICE as heavy as my Sony PRS-650.

So, I agree, since you have all your bases covered already as far as backlit LCD devices goes, I would look at finding a nice lightweight 5 or 6 inch eInk device.

Don't be too hung up though on finding a reader with a MP3 player built in.

The MP3 player built into the Sony PRS-650 is quite nice (about 50 times better than the Kindle which is total garbage), but I have found that it is still usually more convenient to use a much more compact dedicated portable MP3 player.

Look at it this way, if you read every day, you should still only have to charge your reader about once a week.

On the other hand, if you listen to audio books every day, you will have to charge the reader pretty much every day.

If the Lithium Ion battery is good for 360 cycles, this would make the difference between it lasting less than a year vs. about 7 years.

Just something to think about if you find that the Kobo Touch or Nook Touch looks really good to you otherwise, but lacks a MP3 player.

Don't get me wrong, I am pleased to have this feature for airplane flights and such, where it's nice to be able to pack a little lighter, but I wouldn't consider it a "make or break" feature.