Well, I did it. I bought an ereader.

After months of making comparisons, from manufacturer's patting-themselves-on-the-back claims, to computer magazine reports to use comments on various store websites, to actually holding a couple of them (Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook), price, overall design, prettiness, and finally deciding which of those wonderful features I would actually use, I placed an order.

And who won? Newcomer to the ereader world, Borders Bookstore's "Kobo".

The simplest of the readers, and tying with Ectaco's Jetbook Lite in price, it appeared to do what I want it to do: store books in an electronic form and allow me to take my favorites hither and yon. The Jetbook offered more formats, in fact, more formats than any other reader I investigated, but in reality, many of those formats are somewhat obscure, and I could find no books offered exclusively in those lesser known formats. The more-formats-than-anyone-else would be a great option for those who have ebooks bought ten years ago.

Kobo, on the other hand, offers readability to only three formats: PDF, ePUB, and Adobe DRM. Lest anyone think that is a drawback, consider that nearly all ebooks, both public domain and current sellers, are offered in at least one of those top formats. The Kobo doesn't have the wireless capabilities of both Kindles, the Nook, or Sony's top two readers. But neither does Sony's Pocket Reader, their cheapest model, which had been my first choice before the Kobo was announced. When I was considering whether or not this was a selling point, I realized I would be doing the greater part of my browsing and buying on my home computer, anyway, so wireless technology was a $50 option I didn't need.

I cannot "lend" my books to others, as the Nook offers - but none of my friends own a Nook, anyway, and my favorite books I generally buy extra copies of, anyway, to actually give to those I figure will love them as I do. I cannot, at least at the present time, use the Kobo to borrow books from the public library, which was the one point that gave me pause to consider Sony and Nook instead. But looking at what the library is currently offering for lending, that is a service I might not have been using, anyway, no matter how cool it is. And given that the Kobo uses quite similar technologies and interfaces, perhaps the library will offer that option in the near future (as well as offering a wider selection of books I, one of their most loyal patrons, desires!)

Now for the only real drawback: The Kobo, being so newly announced, isn't yet in stores. I pre-ordered mine on the 2nd on June, "for delivery July 2nd". I have nearly a month to wait. Theoretically, I can wait that long; after all, I've been contemplating this purchase for eight or nine months. However, now that my decision has been made... well, I am like a small child eagerly awaiting a birthday. "How much longer? Oh, man!" Pray for me, friends - I need your strength!