I don't see these as anywhere near 'must haves'. For reading fiction, random access and colour support are not necessary. Most people I have spoken to find the battery life mindblowing. And I am not sure why your Kindles keep breaking, but I don't even use a case and mine has survived a lot of rough treatment.
Even if the Kindle was more flawed, I'd continue to use it. There is no way I'm going back to worrying about which physical books to take with me, or on holiday, and having to carry them everywhere. I haven't purchased a paper book since buying the Kindle.
You can loan books, but it depends on the publisher. http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=2...
Even if the Kindle was more flawed, I'd continue to use it. There is no way I'm going back to worrying about which physical books to take with me, or on holiday, and having to carry them everywhere. I haven't purchased a paper book since buying the Kindle.