The Kindle isn't attractive to me because I have an irrational, emotional fondness for books. I like carrying around the current book I'm reading, I like the THUMP! big books make when I put them on the lunch counter, I like the progress of seeing my page marker march down the width, and I like looking at the cover and I like the fact that the actual layout of each book I read is different in subtle ways.
I know that in theory it would be cheaper to read books on a Kindle, but I suspect I would read less. Buying a book is an investment. Because I've spent money on it, I have the mentality that I should read it to justify the cost. I think this mentality since it reinforces my commitment to read a book.
Finally, I like that I can treat books casually. I don't abuse my books, but I make no attempt to coddle them - their value to me is being able to repeatedly get at information, not their condition. I doubt a Kindle is as resilient as a book.
I have a Sony Reader which despite very similar flaws to those described by Nielsen I rather like.
For me the killer feature is not cost, despite my own nasty physical-book habit. No, the value is in being able to take a significant reading library with me when I travel.
In addition to that, I like being able to download and read Gutenberg texts that might not be available to me in physical form without a significant delay.
The Kindle is good for books that aren't so valuable to you. I bought books like the Fark one, several classics I'm not emotionally invested in, etc. That way, I have more money to spend on the books that really matter to me, and I've got a convenient want to read a lot of books at once.
I know that in theory it would be cheaper to read books on a Kindle, but I suspect I would read less. Buying a book is an investment. Because I've spent money on it, I have the mentality that I should read it to justify the cost. I think this mentality since it reinforces my commitment to read a book.
Finally, I like that I can treat books casually. I don't abuse my books, but I make no attempt to coddle them - their value to me is being able to repeatedly get at information, not their condition. I doubt a Kindle is as resilient as a book.