Are ebook readers pointless?!

[yllus]

I can see a full-colour, vastly sped up, touchscreen version of the Kindle getting market traction very quickly.

I got my hands on one last week and thought it really suffered for not having the touchscreen and general lack of intuitiveness, but other things like the "Find" feature were just so cool. And if you're comparing an e-ink screen to an LCD, it's unlikely you've experienced one. It's a lot easier on the eyes.

 

[nageov3t]

It's neat and all, but nothing beats the experience of going to the book store and browsing through all of the books, picking them up and flipping through them, then getting one and going. I wouldn't trust myself to take my kindle with me in the bath (call me whatever but I love a hot bath + book). And most importantly ereaders just don't have the touch and smell of a book. There is something timeless about the feel of thumbing through some pages and the smell of a new book. The cold plastic of an ereader just can't replicate that. That said I do think they are interesting devices and have their uses, but they just aren't for me.

kindle or not, I haven't shopped at a bookstore since the 90's.

their prices are like crazy high compared to buying books off amazon.