1) Is this the time to jump from paper to digital for new book purchases?
IMHO it is. I was speaking to the propriater of a used book store a few months ago, and he asked me if I thought that eBooks were going to last, or were they just a fad. I told him that by the time my 3 and 5 year old become my age, physical books will be a rarity. Look at the sale of physical CDs compaired to .mp3 download. Soon video will be on demand and streamed, and DVDs will go the same way. eBooks will become a standar way of purchasing new books, especially fiction.
2) What about future compatibility? Backward compatibility? Do modern e-readers allow me to download free e-books from places like Project Gutenberg or am I stuck with one company’s software version?
There are actually a couple of questions here. Compatibility. The way I look at it, there will always be programs that will update and convert from one file type to another. The danger will be if you go with buying books that are DRM’d and that particular format/authentication goes away. However there are copious amounts of free books available.
Just a few:
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.amazon.com/gp/b/?node=2245146011
http://www.baen.com/library/
The best advice I can give you for making sure you keep up with latest versions, and don’t have a problem converting is to use a program like Calibreto manage your eBooks. Just download the books to your computer, load them into Calibre, and it will automatically convert the files to the right format when you tranfer to your device. PM me for more book resources.
3) Prices? For both reader and books.
According to Gizmodo, prices range from $140 to $700 (for an iPad). However personal experience shows me that you can get some readers for as low as $100. Books range from totally free (amazon itself has over 20,000 free ebooks) to $6,431.20 for some strange ass book that I don’t think anyone will ever buy. However most fall under $18.
4) Durability? (I still have and use my Jornada, which is probably pushing 12 years now so it’s not like I’m brutal to my electronic toys, but I still like to know this about anything I purchase)
Like anything else, they can be broken. My kindle is fairly durable. I’ve dropped it off the table a few time. Get a decent protective case and you should be fine. Something to keep in mind about the kindle and other e-ink displays is that there are fewer moving parts. So I imagine that they’ll be less prone to something going wrong.
5) Availability of books in e-format - I don’t read pot-boiler bestsellers, so I’m interested in the availability things like science fiction and other genre books, along with non-fiction.
See my post above. There are tons of places to get eBooks right now. PM me for more details if you’d like.
6) What the hell do I do with all these tangible books I have around the house?
That’s up to you. I still have all of mine. But a good plan is something like paperback swap that can allow your books to go to someone that will really cherish and enjoy them, and at the same time allow you to aquire some books you may have desired that are out of print or unavailable in eBook format.
Someone asked about .pdfs. The kindle does ok, but I’d suggest just converting the file via calibre or something. The pdf rendering is usually pretty small, and while you can zoom in, you have to pan the screen around the document…which is just annoying.
Do note that there is a huge difference between devices like the iPad and Nook Color, and the Kindle and Sony eReaders. The first types of devices are backlite LCD displays. Which will have a high glare factor, be difficult to read in direct sunlight, and have shorter battery life. The Kindle, and Sony devices use e-ink technology that is basically like the page of a book. So no glare, can read in direct sunlight, and long long battery life. However you have to have light to read by, so no reading in bed with the lights out. And they are strictly ereaders, there are a few limited other functions, but all you’ll basically do on them is read eBooks. Where devices like the iPad and Nook Color will allow you to do other things.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions.