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As a very recent convert of an e-book reader, I am absolutely convinced that they will be gaining in popularity very rapidly.
$300 truly seems like a cheap price when I consider it is the best gadget I have ever purchased, and when you consider that people from my generation (I am 26) are accustomed to buying expensive electronics. My laptop was cost $2,000, my iPod cost $350, my portable HDD cost $200, and on and on. I am not rich but I spend a significant percentage of my income on gadgets. I used to also spend a significant portion of my income on pbooks, but now I am able to read many of the classics for free and I am able to quickly and easily purchase the books that want at no significant cost difference. However, I am now able to carry literally hundreds of books, and won't have to carry an extra bag crammed full of books when I travel (I never know what I am going to feel like reading.)
E-book readers are going to find their way into more and more peoples hands, and if those people are anything like most of us here they will be actively converting their friends and family to the concept. I think the biggest fear most people have is that they will miss the feeling of holding a book, I was terrified after I had paid $300 that it was going to arrive and I just wouldn't enjoy reading from an electronic display, but I think we can all agree that with the new e-ink displays and the continuing advances they are making in this area this has become a moot point.
Whomever wrote the article in question is seriously out of touch with the how and the why of consumer purchases, and obviously has spent no real time with a current generation e-book reader.
E-book readers are here to stay and within a few years will control a large percentage of the overall book market.
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