I live in a tiny apartment with no room for all the books I read. I don't like the clutter much anyway - and it makes it hard to move. I have no one local to me to lend books to. Being able to download a book instantly, whenever I want, is a huge advantage.
When I travel, carrying a lightweight kindle or iPad is simple and doesn't take up tons of space like the 3 giant paperback books I would read without an e-reader. Plus, assuming I bring an iPad, it does tons of other stuff as well.
On top of that, as other people have mentioned, all the syncing that is done between reading devices is fantastic.
Also, I can read in the dark on my iPad, and I can read with white words on a black background, which is much easier on my eyes.
I suppose that when you're younger and moving often, acquiring a library can be a problem. I live in a smallish Manhattan apartment, but I've been here for years, so I designed my space to accomodate my books. I take great joy and pleasure in having my library there to surround me at home, available to browse and grab at will. Scrolling through a menu on a little screen will never fulfill that same need for me.
I definitely agree about the advantage of e-books when I travel, which is why I sometimes buy light entertainment that I don't care about owning in e-book form.
Reading in the dark is one of the worst things about iPads, however. Light that is reflected from a page is much easier on the eyes than light shone directly into your eyes, even if it's white on black. I wouldn't presume to argue with your personal preference, but I find the eyestrain of a glowing screen in the dark to be a considerable drawback.
When I travel, carrying a lightweight kindle or iPad is simple and doesn't take up tons of space like the 3 giant paperback books I would read without an e-reader. Plus, assuming I bring an iPad, it does tons of other stuff as well.
On top of that, as other people have mentioned, all the syncing that is done between reading devices is fantastic.
Also, I can read in the dark on my iPad, and I can read with white words on a black background, which is much easier on my eyes.