[semioticwafture]

Hi

I'm looking for an e-reader that fits the following requirements. As is distressingly usual for consumer electronic devices, I initially thought I didn't have any tough requirements, then discovered otherwise when I started actually reading up on it, on this forum. Who knew that I needed to have "doesn't come with spyware installed" down on my list, and "can read PDF files with some semblance of usability"? The march of progress is monotonous.

Is there a device that fits my requirements? At all? Reasonably well?

non-negotiable requirements:

1. CLARIFICATION: this first point doesn't mean that PDF support has to be any good: my only hard requirements here are the specific things I spell out in parentheses -- see later posts from me for exactly what I mean by those. usable for reading PDF files (not appallingly slow, sane page-turn behaviour when reading PDF in landscape). I'm OK with cropping the PDF files myself if necessary, if the device can't do that.
2. no spyware (unlike kobo's Google Analytics reporting)
3. no activation / registration / etc. required as long as you won't be reading DRMed books
4. USB mass storage, or some other method supported by calibre, works reliably
5. supports non-DRM epub and PDF files added to the device over USB (or some other reliably calibre-supported means), without gross breakage to standard features (I think I recall reading that the kobo fails this one?)
6. not unstable: rarely freezes more frequently than once per week when used for several hours per day
7. supportable by calibre without too much reverse-engineering effort (I'll do the work to add support myself if necessary)

desired:

1. firmware updates don't require Windows
2. small -- especially distance from top to bottom since it looks like most of them will stick out of my pocket a fair way (I haven't seen any as small as I'd like, but the kobo touch is not too bad -- unfortunately it fails a bunch of my non-negotiables)
3. supports library lending

nice to have:

1. note taking
2. full text search feature (remarkable that some don't have this!)
3. a decent range of font sizes for epub
4. ability to put your own fonts on it
5. ability to read while charging
6. PDF reflow