E-Book Readers, Can they really replace the real thing? Options

[superstitious]

A friend of mine and I were talking this morning about Sony's E-Reader and Amazon's Kindle. I was surprised that he wanted one. His loft style apartment is full of bookshelves, most of them completely full of books. He LOVES books. How could he want a reader?

See, I love reading but for me, it goes beyond the text. I love the smell of books. I like the sound of pages turning. I find the dog-ear folds charming.

I don't know why I'm having such a weird time with this.

Any other paper sentimentalists out there?

[mipadi]

I think it's inevitable that e-book readers will eventually replace paper books; it might not happen for a couple of generations (I do think it'll be a slow process), but it will happen. But I prefer "real" hardcopy books over e-books, for several reasons:

1. Amazon's Kindle has already had numerous DRM (digital rights management issues). Some books can only be read on a certain number of readers, some can only be downloaded a few times (even if you legitimately purchased them), Amazon has deleted books that they suspect have been pirated, and with DRM, the "right" to read a book you bought can be revoked at any time. At least when I buy a paper book, the seller can't come to my apartment and take it back from me. Plus you can't (easily) share e-books. I often swap books with people, and would miss being able to let someone borrow my books, or borrow someone else's books.
2. I like feeling like I'm turning pages, too. I like paper. I like being able to write notes in the margins. I like the look of a well-worn book. I like the look of hardcopy books on my bookshelf. I like piling books up by my desk because they don't fit anywhere else. I even like boxing them up and carry around a box of books weighing 50+ pounds. E-book readers rob me of those little joys.
3. Real books don't need to be recharged; their batteries don't go dead unexpectedly. (Downside: I can't read "real" books during a power outage once the sun goes down.)
4. If I'm walking somewhere with a book in my bag, and I get caught in a downpour, it doesn't matter if the book gets a little wet. (This happens a lot, since I don't own a car, and unexpected rainstorms are common in Troy, NY.)
5. Sometimes it's nice to get away from electronic devices.