NYT - A Savior in the Form of a Tablet:

“There hasn’t been this much hype about a tablet since Moses came down from the mountain … 

The tablet, properly executed, will be an iPhone on steroids, and anybody who has spent any time with that device knows that much of its magic lies in replicating that intimate offline navigation. It is a very human, almost innate, urge — readers want to touch what they are seeking to learn.

There are many practical problems to be solved, including making the device lightweight enough to hold while still packing enough battery to feed a power-sucking screen. And the cost is a significant issue. Although a well-executed tablet will play videos and do other magic an e-reader can’t, will it be worth three times as much? It will to me, and perhaps a mass-niche of readers.”