And I will always take my Kindle. I certainly don’t carry my laptop around with me at all times, and I cannot read the screen on my Palm T|X in bright light or at all sometimes when my eyes are tired.

1) Many people on the go like Joe may appreciate multipurpose devices. They’re a great way in many cases to fit reading into a busy schedules.

2) Multipurpose devices will also find fans among people who are using e-books for job- or reference-related purposes, where they are not doing truly immersive reading.

3) Younger people with healthy eyes—a huge market—may tend in many cases to prefer the multifunction approach. Remember, young people tend to be more open to e-book use, even though older folks can be, too.

4) Older people whose eyes aren’t as good, and who don’t like the glare of the LCD or the smaller fonts of PDAs, etc., will be more interested in E Ink. This could be significant for commercial publishers since older people are more likely to PAY for e-books, if you extrapolate from the world of paper books where middle-aged and older buyers count so much.

I’m probably leaving out other possibilities, but that what seems to be emerging so far. I hope people will continue commenting.

Meanwhile, as noted, I continue to hope that E Ink will thrive for those preferring this solution. I myself have contrast problems with E Ink at this point, although I expect they’ll diminish as the tech improves.

Thanks,
David

Exactly. Add “phone” and “PDA” to that list. If I had to read off a tiny screen or a lap-hogging laptop with a 2-3 hour battery life, I’d just stick to paper. I have a laptop for when I want laptop functions. I want the ereader to be an ereader.

Also, this may be a stunning realization to some, but not all of us WANT to stay connected to the outside world 24/7. I don’t want my phone to ring while I’m reading, or to hear a little beeping alarm from my PDA. I’m reading, dammit, leave me alone.

Eee PC’s are cute and certainly may fill a “nichedom” of their own. However, with a battery life of less than three hours and a display that is not very useful when used outdoors on a bright sunny day I doubt that many will find them to be useful as primarily an ebook device.

Ditto for Blackberry’s, PDA’s and the like. Quite useful for occasional short periods of reading but not really what most folks will want to curl up with for an afternoon of reading.

Also, while some folks find a Swiss Army knife to be the only tool they need I think more folks would rather have real, individual tools.

And I also think you need to make a distinction between reading for pleasure and reading the latest sales report from your job. There is a huge difference.

I am surrounded by computers, at home and work. But except for work related stuff, I cannot fathom staying on a computer to read for pleasure.

I’ll stick with a dedicated device.

I, and most people probably, read for pleasure to take a mental vacation into a new world. Reading for pleasure on a computer, whether desktop, laptop, tablet or EeePC doesn’t fit the bill.

Cerebrus makes an excellent point, too. While a device like the iPhone may offer the ultimate in convergence, it also requires the user to manage his power budget between multiple activities. I’m happy to carry my four-ounce iLiad in addition to other devices, even if only for the peace of mind that I’ll be able to enjoy a good read when I feel so inclined without wondering if I have enough battery left to reach the end of the chapter.

Addendum: Just to make clear: I want E Ink devices to thrive. I just don’t see them as the total solution.