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When I first started with ereaders around eight years ago or so, I was determined not to buy into the Amazon ecosystem, and I also didn't like the bulky space-hogging keyboards on them. I can't remember if they already had non-keyboard versions, but I definitely thought the keyboard versions were something I didn't want. I considered Onyx Boox I think it was called which seemed superior but required more of a learning curve to someone who has a slow tech learning curve, so I went with a Nook as I liked the device best of the bigger options and the ease of store integration which includes book availability.
Then I got two devices, I can't remember in which order. One was an iPad mini to try as my main ereader with iBooks, so again it was a combination of device and book availability. Again, I avoided Kindle on principle. The second was a Sony 950, pretty much the height of their quality ereader builds as right after they went down the plastic and irrelevance road. That was a great ereader except for one thing - it was extremely slow. I take a lot of notes and I had so many problems with that ereader going at a snail's pace. The nook was also a bit slow as I think most earlier ones were, but the iPad mini made me realise how much quicker things could be (and now that I think of it, because of this progression in thought I must've had the Sony first then the iPad), though I decided I preferred e-ink for reading.
So, I just said to hell with it and got a Kindle Voyage and couldn't be happier. It's a pretty walled garden anyway. Not many people complain much about that now, but back when I first started at mobileread it was a huge point of argumentative discussion that seeped everywhere on the forum and I happened on the anti-Kindle bandwagon for the longest time, I think because I was put off by many Kindle owners advocating a bit too vehemently for the superiority of Amazon in all respects and advising anyone new and wanting to get an ereader (and that was a large bulk of members then) that Kindle was the only worthwhile option. You could even start by specifically saying you want an epub ereader with other non-Kindle features and asking which one people recommend, and you'd still get half the replies saying you should just get a Kindle instead. Things have calmed down greatly around here since then and now I'm one of those pesky Kindle owners saying it's all-around the best. Anyway, with Kindles, which unless something drastic changes I plan to stay with as my ereader device and ecosystem, the integration is just so easy, much easier than the other stores I used, and the prices are usually on par and sometimes the cheapest except for maybe people who keep up with Kobo coupons if they still do those store-wide percent-off coupons. In my opinion, now Amazon devices are superior and book availability is superior. The Voyage is great and I'm looking forward to trying the new Oasis at some point.
The only thing I wonder about is library integration as I have been considering trying that out.
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