The computer screen is here now from the MIT Labs with sensors on the back of existing LCD screens. As Jon said, the eReader hardware is perhaps less than 5 years away. The biggest problem is the software and ebooks. Assuming that there is a standard or set of supportable standards then the problem beyond getting bookstores to support the new technology (like music stores and computer stores before that were going to have download on demand and zero inventory) is the establishment of ownership of the ebooks if the eReader is stolen, lost, or damaged/failed.
With a paper book it is a slight problem if it is stolen but the eReaders contain hundreds of dollars worth of ebooks. Today we download to the computer and from there to the eReader. If the film method is employed, there is no backup copy of the ebook. Lose it and you lose all.
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