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(I haven't read through the entire thread, so please excuse any possible repetition)
As much as l enjoy my ereaders and they meet a visual need that I have, IMO the whole reading experience is really much better with a paper book. The tactile experience is better with a pbook. Turning a page can give a sense of anticipation. It's easier to flip back and forth to check maps, tables, graphs and pictures. You can toss them down without them breaking. If they get wet, they dry out and still work. Color covers are nice and give artists work (don't really need artwork for ebook covers, do we?). pBooks come in different sizes and shapes; the variations are interesting.
That having been said, I think what's holding back electronic books is that the need is currently a niche market. I think that the majority of the buyers now are:
- people with book storage issues
- people who love gadgets
- people who do a lot of reading while traveling
- people who have visual problems
- people buying them as gifts for others
- truly avid readers for whom holding 500 books in their hand is nirvana
Other things holding it back:
- the perception that a digital edition is not worth the price of a paper book
- bad experiences with poor ebook formatting from legit sources
- lack of experience with computers
- disinterest in computers
- viewing an ereader as too fragile to be worth the cost
- not reading enough books in a year to justify the cost
- resistance to new techology
- the preference for paper books
- the perception that ebooks might destroy the publishing industry
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