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I haven't tried it, but supposedly you can install a custom firmware to a MicroSD card and run it without touching the main system firmware if you like.

http://nookdevs.com/Softroot

I'll second a vote for the Nook Color. I rooted mine, too, with super, super easy instructions from http://nookdevs.com/
I don't read scientific papers, but I work in IT where a significant amount of documentation is in PDF format. The PDF reader from the Android store, which is free, has performed admirably for me. Different PDFs sometimes need different adjustments and I occasionally have to zoom pages to get them to fit right, but I've been very happy. As others have noted, battery life could be improved some, but it's good enough for my use. At least it gets me through an entire day without a problem, and I just charge it up with my iPhone at night.

Also, as others have mentioned, the $250 price was definitely a factor in my choice. As was the ability to read ebooks from both Barnes and Noble, natively, and Amazon, via an Android Kindle app. I didn't want to get locked into a single bookstore for all my ebooks! This was a neat solution to that problem, in my opinion. And, again, it handled PDFs very well without having to do any software gymnastics. Oh, and the Dropbox app makes getting PDFs from any of my PCs to my Nook a piece of cake.
Here's a couple shots from when I first got it:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5134/5507703665_1ffa034af1_s.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5178/5508300506_3fa733191a_s.jpg

This is an Android-based device for $139. It has an e-Ink display and a touch screen. I'm buying one the day after it's rooted.

Does anyone know enough about the touch-screen method this uses to tell me whether it can present two datapoints at a time? (Can the hardware be used to do multi-touch?)

It is my understanding that the nook has already been rooted.

http://nookdevs.com/

Do you have a link for a honeycomb image for the nook? I would be interested in running that.

Here's the best starting point I'm aware of:

http://nookdevs.com/Portal:NookColor

If you go with the option I picked, you'll need a microSD card that's at least 4GB (you're going to "dd" a disk image complete with partition map to it), and the higher speed class you can get, the better, since you actually run off the flash card and ignore the Nook's internal storage (which actually lets you do this without rooting/jailbreaking the Nook at all, which is Fucking Awesome -- power down, take out the card, power back up, and you're restored to factory condition).

Well as said there are lots of options but that is beyond the basic root. I tend to point people to this wiki and just say use the autonooter for your version: http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Rooting Step by step. If a person can't follow that... then they should pay the couple hundred more and get something else.

BS, it takes a half hour, tops. Following this wiki http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Rooting will walk you through it. The only decision you have to make it deciding which software version of nookCOLOR you have. The only reason it would take longer is if you are messing with replacing the whole system, but a basic root with marketplace support takes very little time at all.

You can't officially make your own games on a DS.

The Nook Color is running Android, and has no monthly fees, only a $250 up front cost.

I thought Nook Color was missing the switch to allow APK installation from "Unknown sources" like the AT&T phones. Can one still use ADB instead?

Of course, it's WiFi-only.

One problem is that Wi-Fi-only Android devices, such as the $250 Archos 43, tend not to have official support for Android Market. Instead, they're restricted to the far smaller selection of AppsLib unless the application publisher makes an APK available.

Yeah, 1.0 is the Nook software/firmware.

I haven't had a chance to tear it apart yet to see "what makes it tick" yet. Hopefully I will find time soon.

It's not all that hard, actually. The unstable thing TFA talks about is Honeycomb, but you can also turn Nook into a tablet running 2.1 - with all bells and whistles working, since the OS remains the same, you just unlock its features. Even get the Market on it if you want. Here is all you need to know

It does. In fact, you can root it, at which point you can get APKs loaded onto it (though, so far, it is still a hack minefield all in all).

It does. In fact, you can root it, at which point you can get APKs loaded onto it (though, so far, it is still a hack minefield all in all).

FYI, the nook has Trook as a unsupported add-on that does exactly this. It is really the perfect reader for news, it pulls the rss feed, and you browse the headlines like a iPhone finger motions. You click the articles you want and it pulls them from wifi to the Big screen.
I have never had a better browsing experience. But it still is complete crap for a site like slashdot where you may want to enter data at some point... (you can, but the small touch keyboard is useable...)
It is actually really easy to install, simply stick a micro-sd card into the nook back panel, download the latest firmware from Trook, copy it to the device with USB, turn the nook all the way off, and back on holding the page turn button. done. May void warranty, YMMV...
The only downside, is the nook screen is so nice for viewing, it makes reading text from my PC noticeably sucky now.

I doubt it is Apple, they don't have book content or a all that desirable of a brick and mortar presence. Barnes & Noble is a content provider, and being a droid, has a development kit and a emulator so it will have apps in no time. Having a small LCD and 802.11 to play with will give it a (IMHO) huge advantage.
I could see the nook e-reader add-on to any game/game system. since it has 802.11 wireless it could easily be a extra screen. This would be very handy for multi-player games, IE select your plays for football without the opponent in the same room seeing your options. Pass it around for any time of strategy/puzzle game. Or just have it giving extra directions or tips.