Ok. I avoid these type of devices. The Sony one too. “Why?” you ask. And that’s what I’m going to tell you.
Environment. No, they do not save the environment. They don’t save trees. Matter of fact, they probably do worse for the environment than can books. The batteries, metal, displays. What will you do when you’re done? Toss this out? Entirely? They might some day kill more trees than would have a paper copy of a certain book.
It boasts the ability to contain many books. Who in their right mind is reading hundreds of books at once? Ten, okay. I’ve been there. But hundreds? No. And the whole note keeping thing. We can do this in books too, thanks. Have you heard of pens? And what if the memory or say the entire device craps out? Where are my notes?!
The price. Yes, some people can afford this. I can’t. Books are cheaper. And frankly, more convenient, meaningful, et al.
Ok, ok. Do I really have an answer better than all of this digital crap? Yes, I do. Used books. Nearly every book you could want is available used. I would bet that the hard to find books are only available used (see my copy of Harry Crews’ The Hawk is Dying). Buying used copies recycles. You’re not killing a tree by demanding another copy off the press, you’re recycling something which would otherwise (ok, here me out…eventually) would go to waste. Most used books are cheaper anyhow. Can’t get John Grisham’s latest release in used condition? Wait a day. You’re a book reader, you can be patient.
