I don't think the Kindle, or any other ebook reader, is going to put bookstores or libraries out of business any time soon. I thought long and hard before requesting this as a gift, and I did lots of research. The reviews were mostly good. My main reasons for wanting this gadget were lack of space, not wanting to use more trees and paper, and the ability to carry more than one book at a time when we take a trip. I can buy the classics for as little as 49cents, or even get them for free. I can also buy textbooks for a fraction of the cost I would pay for a physical book. Bestsellers are $9.99; other books not on the bestseller list are a lot less than that. And there are other books that I would want that cost less than I can buy them for at the used book store (I checked.) The Kindle will never replace books for me, but I can carry a whole library in my hand. How cool is that?

Books don't have to be purchased at Amazon, although the Kindle is an Amazon product. There is software available, for free, that will convert other ebooks to something the Kindle can read. And I'm sure there are other sites that already have, or soon will have, books available. I know Manybooks.net has books from the Gutenberg Project already available for download for the Kindle, all of them free.

Also, for you authors out there, Amazon has a link for publishers and authors who might consider making their books available to Kindle owners.