E-what? I still believe in dead trees.
Have you tried any of them?
I'm a book guy too, and still get/keep certain books, but for my general reading, I'm sold on the E-reader and the capabilities. It really does feel like reading a book, and as BTR mentioned, the ability to change text size, etc. is great.
I also have come to really love the dictionary feature. So easy to get a quick word definition, especially if reading somebody pedantic, like Robert Kaplan. Also works great for me as a German dictionary. Plus not just words. It will call out to the web if you want to know the origin of some obscure phrase or whatever.
Also to the OP, E-readers seem like something very long lasting. I've had zero issues with the Kindles. It seems the only failure point (if E-readers die and one is looking to the long haul) is the battery. I've not heard of anyone replacing the non-user replaceable battery in one.