mrb, do you have your eDGe yet? If not there is a possibility you can upgrade without any of the fancy stuff, meaning while you are registering and after you have your wifi set up your eDGe
might upgrade all the way to Ermine when you check for updates. Mine did, but I had registered previously so yours may not.
Welcome to MobileRead!!
Edit: I thought I'd go back and read Obsessed's instructions, but I can't find them now!
The thumbdrive option is (I think) for if the regular update doesn't work, but however you get there, and whatever its "quirks", Ermine is worth it in my opinion.