The emergence of the eBook has been quite elusive over the past few years. It’s one of those things that seems like it’s becoming quite popular, but neither you nor your friends actually know how popular. The only instance that I’ve ever seen someone reading one has been on a plane trip back from Hawaii. Nonetheless, companies continue to create, produce, and market these now seemingly mainstream items.

For those of you that don’t recall, the eBook was first made popular with Amazon’s Kindle that was first released just before the holiday season in 2007 for an ungodly price of $399. It offered a neat new type of screen that they referred to as E Ink. A revolutionary feature that I believe ultimately led to its success. The screen replicates the feeling of reading actual paper. E Ink allows eyes to read for extended periods of time without giving them a headache from reading on a “screen”. Another feature that was bundled with the Kindle was the connection to Amazon’s WhisperNet which allows readers to wirelessly download books they purchase over the Kindle Store in mere seconds (now operating in over 100 countries, was originally just in US).

Heavy marketing on the front page of their website, and releasing around Christmas-time garnered a decent amount of success and attention with this strange new device. Many companies decided to follow Amazon in its wake. Now there are six devices:

• Amazon – Kindle
• Barnes & Noble – nook
• Sony – Reader
• iRex – iLiad
• Jinke – Hanlin eReader
• Bookeen – Cybook
• Side note: These names are atrocious

As of Christmas 2009, I am sad to say that eBook sales on Amazon finally surpassed print sales. After having a discussion with Cory here, I can’t really see why anyone would want to give someone a Kindle, much less an eBook, for Christmas. It seems so impersonal, and who doesn’t love a fantastic hardcover book with a beautiful, well-designed book jacket. Maybe that’s because we’re of a different generation than those that are using the device. I found a fantastic poll on a blog called Kindle Culture showing the most popular age groups that are using the Kindle.

I originally thought that people older than my generation would hate the idea of “killing” books with a device that conglomerates their entire library into a thin little electronic box. It seemed as if I would see a ton of yuppies walking around armed with their eBook reader, Starbucks cup, poodle, and baby stroller. But apparently not… People over the age of 40 account for two thirds of Kindle owners.

So…why does this bother me. Am I just another person to decry the electronic age and say ‘print is dying!’ for the thousandth time? Maybe a little, but in the end; I am really left with just a simple, yet giant question. Why? Why do we need an electronic device to download books wherever we are in the world? Is a physical copy of a book that burdensome that you can’t take it with you on a trip or even around your house?

I won’t be confused by such devices if I understood why these were necessary or even that useful to the common reader. If you’re a happy eBook reader owner and would like to punch me in the face after reading my opinions, let me know why; I would love to hear you rant about the innumerable joys and oh-so-fuzzy feeling that your eBook reader has provided you.