Never really seen her reading any classics. Mostly, I've seen her read bestsellers, inspirational and self-help books.
Having to teach her how to use software on the computer to sync the reader probably won't work and would just prevent her from using the ereader altogether. She almost never uses the PC when she's at home. That's why I wanted to preload books she's interested in into whichever ereader I eventually buy for her. Just trying to reel her in before showing her anything even remotely complex which might turn her off of the whole ebook experience. My aunt is very smart and she can probably easily learn the process if I show it to her. The problem is she likely wouldn't want to bother and would probably just resort to reading dt books instead.
She currently doesn't have an Amazon account. I was thinking of opening one for her, specifically for purchasing ebooks and just funding the account using gift cards.
I've never used a Kindle or Kobo before so I'm hesitant to buy either as I have no experience with them. The Nook STR, I'm not including until I've visited the local B&N and seen how bad the reported ghosting is. I love my PRS-350 (and from what I've seen of other Sony readers, I'd probably love them, too) but unless I handle the ebook purchasing and loading, it's a no go.
One advantage the Nook Color has going for it, though, it's probably better for magazines. She subscribes to Consumer Reports and I think it might be a nice touch to include a digital subscription if I get her the Nook Color.
By the way, it's definitely possible to gift Kindle ebooks.
The ereader is intended as a Christmas gift so I have quite some time to decide. There might be some new products released between now and November and there may even be developments both with the technology and the commercial side. However, I'm trying to gauge the feasibility of gifting an ereader to someone who's not going to want to learn all the technical stuff. Originally, I wasn't going to include the Nook Color in the line-up until it came to my mind that she's probably agnostic on the whole e-ink vs LCD thing. Indeed, it's possible she might even appreciate the color, backlit screen on the Nook Color better.