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In general I agree with most of the comments... I find ebooks to be best for fiction/light reading, not so great for non-fiction/technical books (as a general rule). I've been reading much more fiction lately, which is good, I missed it.
I've been an e-reader for a number of years, but the kindle is the first device that I think addresses most of my concerns with ebooks...
1) Position... light reading is, IMO, best done kicked back, laying down, walking, and just about any other position other than sitting at a desk. Few of these work well with a laptop and PDA/cell phone screens are a bit small.
2) Texture/smell/etc... The Amazon leather cover on my kindle helps with this. The cover feels very nice, adds just enough heft (to me it feels way too small and difficult to hold w/o the cover) and adds that sensation of holding a book. The smell and feel of the leather (I put a small touch of proofhide on my hands and rubbed it in to soften it and protect it) and the felt lining is reminiscent of high quality old books.
3) Readability... eInk... I'm in love. :-)
To me, the biggest thing that's missing is the experience of perusing used book stores. I *LOVE* used book stores, I love the discovery process, and really enjoy the types of people that you meet in them. I also love the library experience and feel that the online library experience is lacking. I've always loved dimly lit confined spaces and the closely spaced towering rows of books are bliss. Sadly I fear that their days are numbered.
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