I'm thinking about getting an e-reader, but I have specific requirements. It needs to have good .pdf and .ePub support as I need to view a set of documents in those formats. As far as I know the Kindles will read ePub but only after 3rd party conversion.

The Kobo Aura HD has a bigger screen and higher resolution. Has anyone got any hands on experience?

I have little knowledge of other makes of e-readers such as Sony so would welcome some input. As an iPad mini is one of my other options, price isn't really an issue.

If you need a native epub reader then I think the Aura HD or the Aura are your best bet. The nook line have certain advantages i. e can be rooted but they haven't been updated in a while and the front light is inferior when compared to those found in the Kindle or Kobo. Sony produce good hardware but they are getting left behind in terms of features and technology.

If it was me personally I'd get a Kindle paperwhite and convert the epubs so that I could read them on my kindle. It's easy to convert between formats but if you want things to be more straight forward, get a Kobo.

The 3rd party software, Calibre, not only converts but manages the content on my Kindle. That's what I like about it. I'd probably use it even if I didn't need to convert files.