I have a question about that Sony electronic book gizmo.

[Archae]

How much does it cost to load books in?

[HopeHoops]

1. I don't get the point of those things. What the hell is wrong with print?

[jobycom]

3. I'm still trying to figure out why we need papyrus.

Clay tablets worked fine.

The electronic readers do several things. They let you carry a lot of books around at once without the bulk. They don't waste paper. You can adjust the print and lighting, which is useful to people with poor eyesight. Some people prefer the ease of downloading books from wherever they are instead of bookstores or ordering online.

I've been thinking of getting one. Just haven't.

[kentauros]

4. One very important thing is wrong with print: weight.

I don't know how many technical and industry manuals you've ever seen, but if they could all be reduced to electronic form, doing field work would be less of a chore, when you need the reference material at hand ;)

And then, of course, there's the pollution angle of all that paper and ink production. Sure, the manufacture of electronics pollutes, too, but once the item is produced, it takes a minuscule fraction of the energy required to make a copy of that book and distribute it :)

[Tobin S.]

2. Call Me Wesley just got one of those

I think he said most books cost $9.99, but I'd ask him to be sure.