AVITweb, welcome to the world of vaping!
I have never smoked American Spirit brand cigarettes, so I have no clue and can only base my opinions on being a Marlboro Lights pack a day smoker. However, you make assisting you difficult since we do not know what your priorities are in purchasing an e-cig (size, vapor production, throat hit, cartridge size/life, battery life, replaceable parts, accessories, etc).
But here's what I'll tell you. The current "star" on the block is the 510 (goes by many different names). It is approximately the length of a 100's style analog. It's main strength lies in throat hit produced by it's rather "hot" atomizer. Unfortunately, the battery life is extremely short and I have suggested to anyone/everyone considering one of these to purchase the PCC (portable charging case) for it. You can get this e-cig model with either automatic batteries (turns on when you draw on it) or the manual batteries. The cartridge is a decent size and I would guess that two (maybe three) would get you through the day based on your smoking habits. Since the 510 is so popular, you can easily find the starter kits and all replacement parts very easily from any number of vendors.
When I started, the DSE-901 was the mainstay and therefore, became my first purchase. Since then, I've tried other models, but continue to use my 901 as my daily because I think it's the best (at least for my needs/wants). The 901 does everything well. It's not the best at any one thing, it just does everything well. It is 6mm longer than a 510, consistently produces good throat hit (but not as strong/hot as the 510) and due to the cooler vapor, produces good flavor from my liquids (which the hotter 510 vapor tends to mute out). You can expect a 901 battery to last about 1.5 times longer than a 510 battery, cartridge is slightly less capacity than the 510, but not by much....so you could probably get by with the same number of cartridges per day. 901s come with automatic batteries. However, manual batteries have recently been introduced for the 901's but they are currently hard to find. I've been informed that a PCC is now out for the the 901 (much to my delight), but again, it will be difficult to find a supplier with one in stock. 901's are still extremely popular and can be found easily through most suppliers.
The only other model I can think to suggest is a M401, but since I do not own one, will wait for someone else to tell you about the strengths/weaknesses of that model.
So, with that plethora of information, what are you priorities in trying to decide which e-cig is the correct model for you? Size? Battery life? Throat hit? Cartridge life?
lovin' it!!
