Not sure if the Kindle e-books would have the same advantage though, because there would be no such thing as a used book anymore. But there will be something b

Not sure if the Kindle e-books would have the same advantage though, because there would be no such thing as a used book anymore. But there will be something better: The copied book. Amazon will ofcourse lock the kindle down in every imaginable way to prevent the precious goods from escaping. And given the obscure hardware plus the proprietary encryption/DRM machinery they might very well succeed - for a few weeks. Eventually eBooks will become a common good to pass around among friends just like music and movies are today. A small but thriving ebook "warez" community already exists. It will grow proportionally to the mainstream penetration of e-ink devices. It's just another step towards making the knowledge of the world available to everybody. Even to the 3rd world kid who may not be able to afford it today.