E Books

I love reading books and have always found comfort in curling up with a book, thumbing my way through the pages. There is such a nice feel to newly bought books, and psychologically there is something very appealing about having a favourite book at hand for times of stress, (even old and slightly tattered ones have their place).
That said I can also see the merit of e books. The ability to be able to store and access lots of books with the extra components of sound clips, videos and pictures will be a wonderful way of sharing the written word (and other auditory information) with a greater group of people. For librarians and students it will make searching for that elusive quote or poem so much easier. (provided the material has been put out there for any one to access). It should be remembered that many writers still keep their work off the net.
I think there will need to be quite abit of education regarding what is available and how to access this material. E books pre suppose that every one has access to a computer in one form or another.
I do wonder how this technology will become available to families who have not invested in books....are they likely to invest in a kindle for their children???
When I asked my teenage children if they would read an entire book on line they both said no way. Yes they do use computers for research and information, but when it comes to leisure reading, the pleasure of a paper book comes first.