Well the iPad weighs 1.3 lbs, and the Kindle weighs less than half a pound. Only the smallest paperback books are lighter than a small ereader.

Which is why I have a Kindle eReader and an iPad.

I agree that the eInk Kindles are one of the best bits of tech I've ever owned and the best reading experience I've had.

War and Peace, Anna Karenina, any recent book by Neal Stephenson - those are all much more pleasant on a kindle than in paper form.

My biggest problem was always trying to hold a book open with one hand. This was a problem because my hands are large and trying to read a paperback with both hands was sub-optimal, not to mention reading in the bath or whilst lounging.

I can lean a Kindle against the pillow, which is much harder to do with a book.