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There seem to be a lot of opinions that DRM has been a major stumbling block for ebooks. DRM hasn't stopped Apple from quickly becoming the fifth (fourth?) largest music vendor in the US.
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Some people have addressed this, but their answer... ripping CD's??? come on!
iPod became popular because of Napster!
Without napster, a hard drive mp3 player would have had no reason to exist. Zero.
Without thousands of songs from napster, no one would even want to listen to music for hours each day!
Anyone who's bought an iPod now and gets all their songs from itunes/ripped cds is a poser (bought it just cuz everyone else did) and is not enjoying their iPod. I don't have research for this, but i'll bet $500 that those people listened to their toys for a few weeks and then threw them on a desk somewhere. Maybe... maybe.. they use them the one time a month they go to the gym.
If ebook readers become popular now, it will similarly be because of file sharing. If ebooks have not become popular it is not because 'drm strangled them,' it's because people don't know where to get bountiful, free content. Personally, I have figured this part out and it's the only reason i'm enjoying my Reader. Until other people do too, ebook devices will flop except as niche toys for the rich.