It is just a matter of time. When this comes to market it is going to be so sweet.

If only sony would stop delaying it.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=pa_pdr&Dept=audio

You can get a similer one now, but you have to import it from japan.

http://dynamism.com/librie/main.shtml

Hi Carl,
I imagine these e-book readers will be available by Sony and others, however what the author of the article (and I) ague is that the size of the market for these will be very small for a very long time to come.

I agree with Allen. There may be a day when e-books become the standard, but I think it's way off. As a former educator, I believe that children will have to lead this trend.

The Catch-22 is that they're introduced to reading with regular books and continue to use this source of information throughout their educative years. The schools would have to use e-books regularly in order for us to see a tipping point, and since when do schools stay on top of technology? They'll be the last hold-out for this hardware because of cost.

Lastly, there's are distinct tactile advantages to printed books - turning pages, highlighting sections, writing in them, bookmarking them, etc. You can jump back and forth from one section to another easily without having to use an internal search engine.

I like the convenience of short white papers and e-booklets I can download and read online, but, as many others do, I print them if they're longer than a page. Especially for middle-aged eyes, reading on paper is still a preferred method.

The NY Times had an interesting article in last weekend's edition ("Digital Publishing Is Scrambling the Industry Rules"). One of the hottest issues in the publishing world right now is whether -- how? -- new technologies will do for books what the iPod has done for music (making the downloadable and portable).

The Times article ackowledges in part the pleasure of a good book "sniff" (for lack of a better word): "...there's no substitute for the look and feel and smell of a real book — the magic of the paper and thread and glue."

For the record, I totally agree. But at the same time, isn't it inevitable that the digital age will start to evolve what we've always thought of as a "book"? So books aren't dead, but I think they are poised for a bit of a shake-up.

Well ,in New Zealand (like some schools in America
)the government has just implemented a trial program to stop using text books and use touch screen tablet PC made by HP instead. It is only for children starting school now but if it is successful then they plan to implement it across every school in New Zealand.

You have also got to factor in the $100 laptop that is going to be given to every child in the 3rd world. They will use that instead of books.

Elaine, while i agree that there is nothing like opening a brand new book, with the smell and texture and all though lovely things, the "cost" as you put it would be minimal to switch. Say the child buys a "e-book" reader when they are 5, it might last 3 or 4 years before it need to be replaced. They would be able to load ANY book in the reader to read. They could incorporate sound, moving pictures, colour etc. The fact that they would be able to load ANY book means that everyone would have access to Shakespeare, Harvard review, news paper which could update daily via the internet.

Schools could subsidize the cost by selling even more of the children souls to coke cola, kfc, pepsi in exchange for putting ads on every 10th page or the ebook or something. Its not like they don't do it already except the companies could provide the ebook readers instead of buying sports uniforms.

Things like book marks could be programmed in, there could be a button on the side that lets you program in a book mark so all you need to do is press a button to go back to that spot. They could also put a touch sensitive screen in so people could write on the books, then when the years ends they just erase the book and the notes. "turning pages, highlighting sections, writing in them" all these things can be programmed in, heck you could just make it flash based and have the books read out to the students!!

Schools wouldn't even have to buy licenses to have the books, they would be able to use WikiBooks (which are free). If you don't know Wikibooks is like Wikipedia except they are writing text books to give away free.

There is also the fact that since the world is dying form carbon monoxide WE NEED TREES. If you cut them down to make books we will die form not being able to breathe.

I also know that HP is working on e-paper which they could use to make a book out of. The only difference between a normal book and an e-paper book would be that you could just put a different memory card in it and the book is a totally different subject.

As a university student I would LOVE to have one of these things. I have 4 or 5 classes a day and each class has its own book, I nearly break my back trying to lift the dam books when I go to class (Yes they insist we bring the books to class because they MIGHT use them). It would be fantastic if I could just have a one of these things with ALL my books on it in my pocket with my NON iPOD mp3 player and cell phone that would leverage my wallet open and remove the gold doubloons.

I just Sony doesnt DRM it up the wazoo. That would like it before it could get a start.

I agree with Elaine because it does have to start with a younger generation. As a person in their 20's, I'm not willing to switch from a hard/soft cover book, to a mini screen on my Ipod. I think the area is too small.

As it is, I sit in front of a computer all day, and later at home, why would I want another electronic to stow away when I don't want it?