None of the above responses are from someone who actually has one, so excuse me while I step on my soapbox: It’s badass.
Some responses:
* I don’t want an all-in-one device that takes phone calls, reads books, and launches space shuttles. I want to get in a corner at the coffeeshop and read. That’s it.
* It definitely can download books over-the-air, and DRM to most people doesn’t really bother them.
* It is expensive, but that’s what you get for buying new stuff.
* You don’t need millions of colours to read a book – come on now. This isn’t a GameBoy!
For me, the ability to wake up in the morning and have the New York Times and Wall Street Journal already downloaded and ready to go is worth it alone. If this was a newspaper-reader only, I’d still have one. Not having to fumble with a newspaper, not getting ink all over my hands, and being able to read it fairly discreetly (i.e. during class) — ‘nuff said.
I know people say it’s ugly or awkward, but it does what you want it to, and well. It gets out of the way of reading. And with the cover on, it feels much like a normal book – and the accidental button pressing becomes a non-issue.
Several people that I have shown it to (other college students at the coffeeshop or in class) have gone out and got one after using it for a few minutes. (It helps that you can even get some textbooks on the Kindle, which with the note-taking and highlighting features is really useful).
And finally, I still purchase books from my favorite authors because I like to have them around. It’s not a complete book replacement device, but there are certainly books I wouldn’t have gone out and bought, yet I’ve bought them on my Kindle and read them.