Ebook love...

It's the holiday season, and of course Amazon is pushing their Kindle, and B&N is pushing the Nook.

I honestly don't understand the draw of dedicated ebook reading devices like Kindle or Nook (and at least a dozen others). Don't misunderstand: I love ebooks and I love gadgets, but this one just doesn't compute with me. For me, the coolest thing about ebooks is that I carry a library literally in my pocket, on a small device that I'm already carrying with me--first it was my palm pilot, now it's my phone. I can pull out my phone and read anywhere, and I don't have to remember to bring another device with me--that's just like remembering to bring a paperback book (my phone is my MP3 player and PDA, too). And these dedicated reading devices are big and heavy! What's convenient about that?

Here's what I love love love about ebooks on my phone:
--Portability, as mentioned. I carry it in my pocket all the time.
--Convenience. It's already with me, so when I'm bored on the elliptical machine at the gym, or standing in line at the slowest fast food restaurant on Earth (Wendy's on I-20 west of Birmingham, Alabama)... Reading time! (Can you imagine whipping out one of those huge dedicated readers while standing in line at Wendy's? How geeky would that be? :D)
--Price. eReader (my fave) and Mobipocket software are free and available for most smartphone platforms (Android, Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Blackberry, iPhone, etc.). I pay for the books themselves only. (lots of free books available too, check out just one source)
--Adjustable font size. When I'm at the gym, I can increase the font size so I can read and run at the same time, then reduce it to normal size after.
--Tap the screen (or press a button) to turn the page. I can read completely one-handed, or put it on the machine in front of me and just touch it to go to the next page.
--Backlight. Boo-yah!
--Selection of titles. Millions. More than any brick & mortar store could ever hope to carry, and with internet access on the phone, all at my fingertips.
--Conversion software. I can make any digital file with text into an ebook readable on my phone.

Okay, so dedicated devices probably have adjustable font size and backlight. Possibly have one-touch operation, too, but they're too big to operate with the same hand you're holding it with. Probably a similar selection of titles, though I think your sources are limited. No idea about conversion software.

I'm thinking if you want something bigger than a phone, rather than a dedicated reader, you're better off getting a netbook (about the same size and often cheaper). It can serve as an ebook reader, a PDA, AND do lots of other stuff.

As for me, my phone is my (heart) ebook reader.