OK, now that Kindle 2 is out, I guess it's time for me to make a decision. I will be honest, the Amazon store is a big pull in favor of the Kindle (as it was with Kindle v1) but the fact that they ignored PDF support again (still classified as experimental) disappoints me. And I really would like to read all sorts of PDFs on an e-book reader. So, I am about ready to order the iLiad (the book edition) now. It may not have as much of an e-book selection available as the Kindle but it has native support for PDFs, can read borrowed titles from overdrive (at the local library in Washington DC) and, IMO, is better looking than the Kindle (v1 and v2). The only significant minus points would be the lack of a sleep/suspend mode (leading to short battery life) and the purported lackluster support from iRex. I guess everything in life is a trade-off. *sigh*
I want to thank everyone for helping out and answering all of my questions. Here's hoping to join you as an actual e-book reader very soon
Actually, now that I have decided, I thought I would share my specific choices (including accessories) with the other members in case it could help them make up their minds.
I have decided to go with the iLiad Book Edition. I made this choice because the silver on the book edition looks better than the black and plus I save a $100. I don't really need the wi-fi because I would much rather transfer content via SD cards. Also, I don't really need to browse the web on the iLiad because I will always have my iPhone with me.
As for cases, I searched long and hard and I narrowed it down to two choices:
(a)
This case from M-edge which seems pretty sturdy but I am worried about how it will hold up during long flights and taking the reader in and out during security checks at the airport.
(b)
This snug neoprene case which provides protection at the cost of making the iLiad unusable while it is still in the case. I am tempted to go with this one.
For SD cards, I actually think that the built-in 128MB of internal memory might be sufficient for me as I am unlike to have more than 10-20 books or articles on the device at one time. But, if I had to get one for, say installing 3rd party applications, I would probably go with
this CF card (since they seem to be better supported than SD or MMC cards)
I don't think I need any other accessories. If anyone has any comments on my choices, please feel free to share them with me. I want to make sure I use the collective wisdom on these forums to make the best choices available.
Update:
Just talked with Jeff over at ERO and he strongly recommended the
M-Edge Genuine Leather case as well. This also looks nice. Has the advantage that I can get it at the same time as my iLiad from ERO.