[fireater]

Hello ebook lovers!
Like all of us here, united in the quest for reading ebooks on a reader-friendly device, I am also on the look out for the dream e-book reader nirvana.

While the Hanlin, Sony ereader and iRex Iliad promise to be exceptional readers based on e-ink technology, all three of them are either out of budget/costly, hard to get or like the sony, not yet out in the market.

As a Physician, I need to read a lot of literature. Much of the standard texts are now available in the Isilo format and many doctors/surgeons have adapted the Palm platform as the device of choice.

Now, one question this community should answer is:
While we wait for (1) the price of the Iliad to go down to affordable range cheaper than a notebook, (2) wait for the Hanlin devices to be available widely in english with tech support (3) wait for the Sony to release their 'perfected' ereader,

Why not go for a UMPC or a Handheld?

I have been waiting for the e-ink devices to become mainstream and cheaper, but the trend so far has been far from encouraging. So, I have decided to fall back on my plan B - to get myself a Palm TX for the moment - I can also do other stuff with it and even with its pathetic 3 hr battery backup, I can still try to get some reading done...

What do you people think?

Do you have any other gadget as a stop-gap measure? Are you planning to roll back your e-ink device for the time being and wait for it to stabilise in all terms? If yes, what is your current gadget you use to read ebooks or what do you plan to buy before you get yourself an e-ink device?

NOTE: I perfectely know the advantages of a dedicated ebook reader like most of us here, so telling me/us all over again about the palm/handhelds vs ebook readers is like preaching to the choir - yet there are other stuff that affect the decision to buy a ebook reader like price and availablity - this thread discusses that exactly and the possible solutions.

Thank you for your suggestions, points of views.