Already a number of people have asked me a flavor of this question: "Do you regret buying a Kindle?" No, I don't regret buying a Kindle, even in light of the fact that I may well buy one of these iPad contraptions as well, despite the new device's limitations. The E Ink displays the Kindle, Nook and other dedicated reading devices use are infinitely better for reading than any other display technology I've used. So, for people who read a lot, such as myself, having the Kindle or Nook is a godsend. I spend enough time as it is staring into a backlit computer display — I'm doing it right now to compose this blog post! When I sit down to read a book, I want something that doesn't give me eyestrain after two hours. Not to mention, the standard Kindle is smaller, lighter, thinner and cheaper than even the cheapest iPad. And it has no-fee wireless book downloads.

Which is not to say that the iPad won't prove a popular electronic book reading device. I suspect less voracious readers — that is people who don't read one or two books a week — would be perfectly fine with the iPad. Certainly, eBooks have been quite popular on existing mobile computing platforms, like the iPhone operating system. But for serious readers, or people who spend enough time as it is staring at backlit displays, the Kindle is still a great product.