Aye, that is why I was thinking of a device like the Archos 7 I linked above. It's certainly like a UMPC though not quite in that category, definitely not any sort of dedicated e-book reader.The problem I kept running into with UMPC's is that they seemed like they had too small of a screen/too low of a resolution for the purpose I had intended, especially given the price point they seem to be hitting.
I have also considered a laptop but it just doesn't seem like that would truly be comfortable to use/hold like a book for extended periods. Now a laptop with a foldable display that is a touch-screen, that might work..