I don't think it's a zero sum game. It's not either/or. For most it's both. You will have a smart (brilliant) phone and if you read a lot, a dedicated reader. The 2 form factors just don't overlap enough to do both well.
At this point the Kindle is so cheap that if I actually commit to buying any quantity of Kindle books, I might try one.
I have a kindle and buy most of my books through the local used bookstore but the kindle is great for all those free classics that I haven't read.
Agreed, but the order is wrong. The truth is that you will almost certainly buy way more kindle books if you actually have a kindle
Don't rule out the nook. Since the nook supports ePub(with DRM) you can probably check out eBooks from your local library. Since the Kindle is a closed ecosystem that does not support ePub that channel is cut off from you.
Agreed. It's definitely not a zero-sum game. Most of the time I read my kindle books on the kindle, but at night in bed it's great to be able to read on my iPod touch without any light.