Can one mark text & make notes in the margins?
From the User's Guide:"You can highlight lines of text and add notes to any of the content on Kindle. Amazon automatically stores all of your annotations in the "My Clippings" file and even backs them up on Amazon servers so they will never be lost even if you lose your Kindle. As an example, this paragraph has a highlight and note attached as indicated by the surrounding box and small note icon to the right of the text. Using the select wheel, move the cursor to the note icon, press the select wheel, and choose "Edit Note" from the menu to see the note. To add your own note, simply move the cursor to the line where you want to add your thoughts, press the select wheel, and choose "Add Note" from the menu. Then type your note using the keyboard and select "Done". You can later view the note, edit it, remove it or see all of your annotations in something you are reading by selecting "My Notes & Marks" from the menu."
"Using Notes
To add, edit, or delete a note, follow these steps:
1. Scroll to anywhere within a page you are reading.
2. Press the select wheel.
3. Scroll to the "Add Note" selection if you want to add a new note, the "Edit Note" selection if you want to change an existing note, or the "Delete Note" selection if you want to delete an existing note.
4. Press the select wheel.
5. Use the keyboard to enter a new note or to edit an existing one.
6. When you have finished, scroll to "Done," and press the select wheel.
7. If you added a note, once you return to the page, notice that a note icon now appears on the right side of your text."The notes go into the .mbp file for the file you added the note on, and a copy goes into the "My Clippings" file.
I have an Ebookwise 1150 (http://www.ebookwise.com/). It’s great for just reading books. Very easy to hold and turn pages, has backlighting (so you can read it in the dark), the battery lasts literally for days between recharging, and it only cost me $140. Has a little stylus so you can scribble notes on pages, which are saved so you can go back to them later. Doesn’t have wireless like the Kindle, but it was much cheaper. I load several books on the device before I travel, so I don’t really need wireless. It’s great for reading at the airport and on the airplane.