Funny you should ask about this. I just got my Kindle delivered about a week and a half ago. I love to read and I bloody love this thing.
I ordered two Kindles
3rd Generation with Wifi and 3G (or as Amazon calls them, "Latest Generation"), and two cases with built in lights. My Cabin is in a place with no electricity, hence no wifi, hence I like the 3G. The reason I doubled up and bought two of everything is not actually due to some hitherto unknown mental defect, but rather that my wife and I each got one.
The cases were expensive ($59.99) but as I said, they have built in reading lights that slide out and are powered by the unit itself. Also, the cover just looks snazzy and was, of course, made especially for the Kindle. Personally, I like the 3G as you can download stuff directly from Amazon in over 100 countries and it is free. It also has an experimental web browser which works well enough for me to check email, basic web pages, etc. Of course it's not in color, but I did not buy this item for color, but rather for ease of use and lengthy reading sessions without eye strain.
As for .epub files not working on the Kindle, I wouldn't worry about that very much. Not only do a lot of sources provide free books in multiple formats (such as
Project Gutenberg), but you can also get a lot of stuff (
public domain and limited time free) delivered wirelessly through Amazon. Anything you can't get in .mobi directly you can convert really easily with
Calibre, a free program that can take in and convert nearly any format to nearly any format.
My total cost for two cases with lights and two Kindle 3s was $573.69 including delivery, customs and duty. This is broken down as follows:
Kindle 1: $189.00
Kindle 2: $189.00
Case 1: $59.99
Case 2: $59.99
---------
Subtotal: $497.98
S&H: $15.95
Import fees deposit:$59.76
---------
Grand Total: $573.69
I am no mathemagician, but I'm pretty sure one Kindle with case would be around half of that amount. Since it was recent, I may also end up getting a partial refund on import fees and deposit.
Based on the amount I read and the cost of new books (they are cheaper on the Kindle), as well as the huge number of free titles available through various sources, it will be a very good investment for me. It's easy to read on, you can customize the font size and type (serif vs. sans serif, etc.) and a bunch of other stuff. The
Next time I travel by plane it will be a godsend (no more packing 15 lbs of books, which I quite literally have done).
I love my Kindle so far, and I do not see that changing.
Hope that helps!