Of course you're right that the I-Pad isn't an e-reader. My point was just that many -- particularly in the children's book world -- see it as the platform most likely to spur e-book sales.
Now, will customers paying full price for books mean that publishers spend more on sustainable paper for DTBs? Not necessarily. But the price squeezing by the big chains does make it more difficult to get publishers to pay for sustainable paper, just as it's harder to get them to pay for decent publicity or pay for authors who don't write blockbusters. When everything becomes about cheap, other considerations (quality, sustainability) wind up shunted to the back of the line.
And if you qualify as the forum's meanie, then this must be a very nice forum indeed!
Dashka
