[chamekke]

It's really impossible to generalize about "older folks". The only comment I'd like to make about the G.I. Generation (of whom my late father was a member) is that they are members of a generation who were often - NOT always - skipped over by the computer revolution, and thus may be relatively inexperienced computer users. While many of them are curious/willing to try computers, this demographic is also exceptionally vulnerable to being scared off altogether by scary stories about online scams, the risks of unsafe e-commerce sites and so forth.

My dad, for example, was understandably very nervous about online banking and when (or if) it was safe to make online credit-card transactions. Once I ensured he had some decent computer security and got him RoboForm to help him with entering strong passwords and so forth, he was a complete convert. (Especially once he saw how incredibly convenient and easy it actually was!)

I mention this because in many/most cases, e-commerce is key to owning an e-reader and stocking it with books. If you're not familiar and comfortable with making online transactions, you may think twice about embracing this technology. There's much more involved than simply being able to use a computer, or even being able to use the Web.