I have yet to read a book on a tablet. The idea really doesn't appeal to me. I love the feel of a book and the satisfaction I get by turning a page and knowing that I'm one page closer to the end. The experience of "feeling" where you are in a book is lost on a Kindle. You don't have a physical sense of being in the middle of a book or almost to the end like you would when holding an actual book. Also, with a kindle you have to worry about it breaking, you could ruin it with you drop or one spill of water. With a paperback you can just throw it around. And there is always the issue of cost. You have to pay a large sum of money upfront for a kindle and then pay for each additional book. Buying a book at a used book store or on Amazon is often a much cheaper option. Trading books among friends is free and not many people are willing to loan their Kindle out. If books on Kindle were dirt cheap I would probably buy one for that reason alone. The only real benefit I can see from a Kindle is it's weight. Carrying around a book (especially a hardcover!) in your purse is a nuisance.
I really hope that physical books do not become a thing of the past. I can't even grasp the fact that there are no more Borders. In fact, it is often really difficult to find an actual bookstore. They used to be on every other street and now I have to drive significant distances to get to one. I really believe that there will always be a market for bound books. What Hana said was interesting--that magazines aren't depreciating at the rate that newspapers are. This makes a lot of sense to me. People don't just read magazines for the content, it is also about the experience. Flipping through the glossy colorful pages of a magazine is such a pleasurably experience--one that cannot be transferred to screen. Likewise, turning the pages of a book will always be a treasured experience for many.
