Hello, sun surfer. I think I can help you with your questions. I have the 950 (and the older 900). I love them both! The extra inch does make a difference to me. The size is very similar to your Nook. It is very comfortable for me to hold, and I have very petite hands. And, yes, the 950 does have a 2 page view mode in landscape.
You can only download files on your ereader from the Sony Store unfortunately. I wish that weren't so too! The Sony Store also does not have samples download. However, the good news is they have a feature called "view excerpt" which allows you to read several pages within the browser window. The bad news is not many books have excerpts which makes this feature not very helpful. Sony could definitely improve in this area.
However, you might be happy to hear that the BN sample downloads do work with some effort (and via USB cable not wirelessly)! That's how I've been reading samples. I log-on to the BN website with my computer (not ereader). I select "Download Sample" of the book I am interested in. Then I visit my Nook Library within the BN website and download to my hard-drive. From there I can transfer the sample to my Sony via USB cable because the BN samples have no DRM on them. (If you have a Mac there is an extra step to make sure you download an EPUB rather than PDB file. Only EPUB format will work the Sony's). I have a collection on my 950 called Samples which I can then browse whenever I want.
I did a test for you with kobobooks.com. I was able to load the website on my 950 browser over Wi-Fi and view the book descriptions and table of contents. Kobo lets you read excerpts within the browser window so I thought this approach might work. Unfortunately I got an error message! So that idea is no good.
I wish Sony had sample downloads. It just isn't integrated into their storefront. I often use my Kindle to read samples and then purchase the book from Sony or another EPUB bookstore to read on my 900/950. Disappointing, I know! However, at least there is a workaround.
The Sony's are great ereaders though. I've had 4 different models and keep upgrading with each news series. Definitely they feel like a high quality product in your hands. I love having the touchscreen, and the menu system is intuitive. The new Pearl screens are awesome. I recommend you find one at a store to test out. Good luck with your decision!
