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To be honest, the basic ereader technology has remained static for the past 3yrs. The eInk screen technology has remained virtually unchanged apart from the introduction of a 5" with slightly higher resolution and slightly larger screens (with slightly lower res) for the top-end readers. Refresh speed is the same, as is the page-turn flash.
The purpose of WiFi/3G is simply to make it easier for people to spend money. It doesn't add anything to my reading experience, and frankly I like to take my time browsing when deciding what to read next, so downloading from a computer isn't a big deal.
The 2yr old 505 still represents the state-of-the-art when it comes to ebook readers. That's pretty sad. I was really tempted by the 600 with its faster processor and panning, but wasn't prepared to sacrifice screen clarity (which is the primary reason we put up with eInk's sluggishness).
I can see myself hanging onto my 505 for a few years, until eInk finally comes out with a better screen (not holding my breath). Faster refresh, minimisation of the reset flash, higher resolution (in monochrome, colour is irrelevant) - all of these are dependent on eInk producing something better. Manufacturers could write in proper hinting and font rendering, though they seem to spend most of their time on bells and whistles.
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