I first read about E Ink on BBC News, I think. I would then check around on the net every now and then to see if there were any devices in production yet. When the iLiad started shipping, I started reading the iRex boards more frequently, and found the references to this site (which is generally more helpful, even regarding iLiad specific content).
Colorful personal story: every now and then I get an itch to abandon most of my worldly goods and take to the road in a microbus or similar. (This is usually when my kids are driving me crazy, I admit.) But the thought of leaving behind all my books was too upsetting. Then, when I read about E Ink, I started to think that it might be possible after all.