Online integration with the amazon store isn't just another feature point though, it's the company's primary direction with the product.

The content acquisition problem is just as important, or even more so, then the hardware problems for any electronic media device. Someone using a competing e-reader has to navigate a number of competing e-book stores, download and keep track of their copies on their own storage media, and then sync books over to their device via USB or storage device; that's a lot of work when you just want to read a book.

I remember reading about someone who described how he'd walk into airport book stores, lazily browse through their books, and then remotely download his favorites onto his kindle; that's powerful.

Nah. They just slope over to http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4382165/For_Dummies_Ebooks_c... and stuff themselves like a basking shark feeding on krill.

That's still slower than, if my grandfather mentions a book he thinks I'll like, my going online, finding the book in 20 seconds, downloading a sample chapter within a minute, and potentially buying the book to read if I like that chapter. Furthermore, speaking as somebody who loves stuffing himself on torrents: it's very hard to find specific books on ThePirateBay, depending on your tastes. You can't download, say, Finnegans Wake, which I just searched for. All they have is the audiobook.

> I remember reading about someone who described how he'd walk into airport book stores, lazily browse through their books, and then remotely download his favorites onto his kindle; that's powerful.

Instant gratification works both ways. If I really need a book on something, I will go the local book superstore, browse through them and read the reviews on Amazon.com while there and buy (price insensitive) the one that seems the best. Pre-iPhone, I would read the reviews on Amazon.com and then call around to hold it.

Honest question: Can you give some examples? I'm not familiar with the market and being a Canadian the Kindle isn't an option anyway, but I'm curious as to what nice options are available with a proper e-ink screen.