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GameBoy & Steve J make good points regarding the future of e-text.
However, I think that to be successful, any e-text reader must win the battle on two fronts; 1. why is this device better than a paper book? and 2. why should I buy a separate device to check RSS/Online content?
To address question 1, there is a massive dearth (is that possible, can a lack be large) of e-content. The only files available at a reasonable cost or format are very old texts. Good, but not great. Until we consumers win the DRM war & every book published is released electronically, the e-text reader will be seen as merely a gadget.
I really cannot speak to question 2, since I am only vaguely aware of what RSS is and how it works. I suppose that if folks are willing to hotsync their mp3 player daily to get the Colbert Report as a soundfile, they would not mind syncing a reader to get blogs or online periodicals. It does seems that it would require an extra step of formatting of the content.
I would make this statement:
We do not need the ipod of books; we need the mp3 of books.
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