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I have or have had a Palm Tungsten, Astak PocketPro, PocketBook 360, Sony 350, Sony 650, and now an Asus tablet. (It's a sickness.)
The Palm was all that was available at the time and it fit in my pocket. At the time, it was great to have a book with me, even if I could only read it for a few hours. A coworker loaned me his Sony 505 and introduced me to the magic of epaper.
The Astak PocketPro was my first dedicated reader. It had some of the best ergonomics I've seen in a reader, with lots of options for page turns. I found that I missed the Sony organization, especially as I improved the metadata with Calibre. Alas, an unfortunate blow to the screen cracked the ink layer and made it unreadable. I still miss it for its ease of use.
The PocketBook 360 replaced the Astak, mostly because the snap on front cover makes it bomb proof. I really wish that other manufacturers would provide something that works as well to protect the screen. I liked that the accelerometer could be used to turn pages, especially since I found the buttons to be stiff and difficult to push. I disliked that the accelerometer could be used to turn pages, because putting the book down for a moment to speak with someone or answer the phone caused the page to turn.
I bought the Sony 650 last fall when Borders had a promotion that included a free lighted cover. It's just about everything that I could want in a reader. If it were possible to search collection on two different variables at the same time (such as historical fiction and thriller), it would be perfect. I really like the lighted cover in low light situations, even better than an LCD screen.
The Sony 350 was on sale for a great price and has just about replaced the PB. The text is so much crisper, the firmware so much faster, and the reading experience so much better, it's hard to go back. Text on the PB looks faded compared to the Sonys. I'm still searching for a case that would protect the screen without adding to the bulk and weight.
I don't consider tablets to be ereaders. I've tried a few times with mine and it's too heavy, large, and bright to be read easily. It's great for its intended purpose of lightweight laptop substitute, but will never replace any of my readers. My phone is too small and bright for easy reading. I don't even try putting books on it.
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