[jscarbo]

I've been using e-readers longer than most, since the RocketBook reader came out in the late 90's, and over the years have owned or used almost every major brand and model. In my opinion, some of your selection criteria aren't really very important and may lead you to make the wrong choice. All of us have our preferences, and some won't agree with mine, but here are my thoughts and recommendations:

1. E-ink vs LCD tablet: If you're going to do a lot of reading, I definitely agree with getting an e-ink reader. They're optimized for e-book reading and offer the best experience in terms of size and weight, reduced eyestrain, etc. However, because of their small screen size and lack of color display, they aren't great for PDF's or illustrated books and magazines.
2. Lighted screen: Absolutely! They are better in all lighting conditions, not just for reading at night or in low light.
3. Long-term reliability: Less important. Don't buy a reader that has a bad reputation in terms of quality or seller support but all e-ink screens are somewhat fragile if you abuse them. If you use a cover and take reasonable care of them, they hold up well. Furthermore, lighted e-ink readers are relatively inexpensive. The majority of your investment isn't going to be in the reader. It will be the ebooks you purchase. If your e-reader lasts a minimum of couple or three years before replacement, I wouldn't worry about it. All major brands should last at least that long. I've found myself upgrading for new features every couple of years and typically give my old ones to friends or family. Most are still in active use, even after four or five years of use.
4. Epub support: Unimportant! Epub has become the standard of the industry except for the Amazon Kindle and it isn't likely they'll offer epub support for their e-ink Kindles any time in the near future, although you can install epub reader apps on their Fire tablets. However, to me, the format is much less important than content availability and price. Amazon dominates the ebook and e-reader market for very good reason. They have better prices, more discount offers and promotions, and a far better selection than any other ebook seller. In addition, their customer service and support have the best reputation in the industry. As far as I know, amazon is the only seller who offers a 30-day return on their devices and a 7-day return on ebook purchases.
5. Library Management: Many, perhaps most of us, use Calibre with the Apprentice Alf plug-ins to manage our e-book libraries. With these plug-ins it's easy to convert formats, so it doesn't really matter which format or DRM scheme is supported by the device. If you use Calibre with the plug-ins, you can convert and read Word documents on your device. You can also convert and tweak PDF's to either epub or Kindle format, although complex conversions with multi-columns layouts, etc., require some experience to master.

All things considered, my preferred e-ink reader is the Kindle Paperwhite. I use a Nook HD+ for PDF's and for books and magazines with photos, color illustrations, and for reading graphic novels. The main reason I prefer Kindle is for the content selection and prices. The device itself is much less important but Kindle is arguably among the best e-readers on the market as well.

Of course, if you prefer an epub device and you use Calibre with the plug-ins, you can still buy Kindle books and convert them to epub but why bother. Just get a Kindle Paperwhite and move on to the more important step of building a good library that you can read on whichever device you own, now or in the future.