I have a Kindle, and it's pretty neat. And if the price seems steep, there are so many good books for FREE to practically pay the entire install price off. Also, if you have Wifi in your house, it would make the most sense to just go for the Wifi version, because it's unlikely that you'll ever want to download a book while outside of a hotspot.

dunno much about competitors, but if you have a Barns & Noble nearby, definitely look into the Nook, because you can read any book for free on it while you're inside a B&N store. Also, it has color.

I got a Kindle for Christmas and it's amazing. I can't speak for other brands as I don't have one and have not so much as touched one (ashamed to say ) but between 3G and Wifi Kindles, it depends on what you're need is. If you are in the car you probably will want 3G if you want to buy books from the car. But the Wifi version is $50 (+/-) cheaper.

I personally went with Wifi because most places I go have Wifi and even if they don't, waiting until I get home is easier than going across to the bookstore. Plus, I'd rather spend that $50 difference (+/-) in books than 3G.

It really depends on what your situation is. Either way, the Kindle is amazing and was well worth being virtually all I got for Christmas. Now if only they had Bionicle ebooks on Amazon... *sigh*

What about Ubuntu on Nook Color?

I would get a tablet.