eBooks or Paper?

I like paper. I like the crinkle a page makes as I turn it to read what happens next. I like the smell of the bookstore, even if it’s old and dusty. I like finding someone’s name in the front of a book if I pick it up at the Congregational Church’s monthly used book sale. In short, paper makes me smile.

My question, therefore, is this: why would anyone want to read a book on their handheld device or their computer screen? It is not fun downloading text onto your device rather than turning pages. Viewing the front page of your eBook cannot compare to feeling the cover of a printed book. And walking into Best Buy pales in comparison to walking into Barnes and Noble or an independent on a side street somewhere.

What’s your opinion? Do you think eBooks will one day replace the hard copy version of a book? Would you want to read a novel on a screen instead of on paper? Let me know what you think.