I think the ipad reaches a certain niche (apple fanboys). For individuals that actually possess a penchant for reading, they like e-ink tablets. All the multimedia distractions such as music, game and apps aren’t necessary. There is also that large niche that loves to read news articles and publications online. It would be nice if the kindle had a better web browser that was fast and efficient so reading the NY Times, WSJ, etc. would be more copacetic. I wouldn’t mind a sacrifice in battery life for better performance as long as there are no distractions.