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Not sure if the Sony device is the most open. Have you seen the BeBook yet?

http://mybebook.com/index.html

It supports:

[...] the most popular eBook formats such as: EPUB*, PDF*, TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI, CHM, PDB, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF (*including Adobe DRM, compatible with Adobe Digital Editions)

Compared to formats supported by the Sony:

        * DRM Text : ePub (Adobe DRM protected), PDF (Adobe DRM protected), BBeB Book (PRS DRM protected)
        * Unsecured Text : ePub, BBeB Book, PDF, TXT, RTF, Micrsoft® Word, (Conversion to the Reader requires Word installed on your PC)

Try bebook, it's a Dutch company.

As an educated person of culture and refinement I prefer using my eBook reader for everything, from physics text books to philosophy to fiction. It is difficult to travel with a few heavy books (and I'm always reading a few different books), but a 285 gram eBook reader can fit in my pocket wherever I go and carry an entire library with me. In a pinch, I'll use a phone.

While I can understand a preference for paper (it is what most of us grew up with, after all), the conveniences of eBooks are already outweighing the advantages of paper. This is especially true of dedicated eBook readers with e-ink displays. The one downside is the requirement of electricity (to recharge the batteries), but there aresolar powered chargers to make remote use possible.

If the insidious DRM and vendor lock-in of the Kindle is a problem, I suggest getting one of the BeBook from Endless Ideas and loading openInkpot firmware on it. Even the Sony PRS-505 and PRS-600 are more open than the Kindle and the PRS-600 offers a touch screen to boot.

The pros you offered outweigh the cons to such an extent that even if it was twice the cost (which i sincerely doubt) it would warrant the transition. Although personally I don't like the idea of purchasing netbooks for class learning, I'd rather lean towards something like the bebook.

The eBook device you describe is BeBook. It costs 300 EUR and reads PDF, DjVu, JPG, PNG, GIF, TXT, DOC, EPUB, Mobi PRC, HTML, CHM, LIT, FB2, and many other formats. It is Linux-based and the firmware is open-source, but there is also OpenInkpot which is openly hackable so you can even write your own reader for whatever format you want. Plus, the device works all over the world, and it accepts an SDHC card up to 32GB, but it also has 512MB of flash memory built-in. its battery lasts for about one month (yes, it's a 4 weeks battery!) and fully charges via USB within half an hour. Much better, the company that makes the firmware allows you to communicate with the software programmers and request features, fixes, etc yourself for the next version.

The best e-reader I have ever seen is BeBook.

You have non-US options.

You can get a Bebook for a lot less. They just dropped the price in anticipation of their new model and they're $70 US cheaper than a Kindle2.

The new BeBook (yes, I put an affiliate id in there. You can skip my affiliate link, but I would appreciate it if you didn't) that is coming out soon is also rumored to support pen input. I'm an owner of the original BeBook and the current price ($280 US) has been worth it for me. Between it and Baen's free library I have a ton of sci-fi. Files from work are easy enough to convert over for reference during travel, and it handles pdf images pretty well.

The new BeBook (yes, I put an affiliate id in there. You can skip my affiliate link, but I would appreciate it if you didn't) that is coming out soon is also rumored to support pen input. I'm an owner of the original BeBook and the current price ($280 US) has been worth it for me. Between it and Baen's free library I have a ton of sci-fi. Files from work are easy enough to convert over for reference during travel, and it handles pdf images pretty well.

I own five BeBooks and I love them. They read HTML, PDF, DOC, RTF, TXT, MOBI, EPUB, FB2, LIT, all without conversion. The device runs on GNU/Linux and you can even replace the factory firmware with OpenInkpot, an ebook ereader OS built by hobbyist free software programmers. BeBook is actually an OEM version of Jinke eReader V3, that is being sold in the US as EZ Reder (you can find more OEMs at the mobileread wiki).

The iLiad Book Edition is a good choice. The hardware is nice and the firmware is open source. It's also very expensive.

You could also look at the BeBook. It uses the same 6" panel as everyone else, has excellent wide and open format support and the firmware is open source. It's also sold under many other names, Hanlin V3 being the most common.

I've bought a BeBook. It should last me long enough that a better and probably cheaper generation of devices will come out. There's no need to go for the top of the line models now, the technology is changing too fast.

If your primary motivation is reading not fiddling then don't bother with wireless and touch panels yet. They cut the battery life from several weeks to a few days on every model that has them.

Get a bebook http://mybebook.com/p5/ereader-bebook/product_info.html. Seriously.