eBooks vs Paperbacks

I personally love to turn the pages in a paperback book and actually go to a local bookstore and purchase a book.  That's an experience in itself.  I enjoyed taking my kids to Borders and hanging out with them in the children and youth sections, sipping tea or coffee and watching my youngest son opening and closing books with Elmo on the cover.  Sadly those days have been bought out by Sony eReaders, Kindle, iPad, iPod, cell phone eBook apps, Kobo and all of the other fancy devices to read a book on.  I just wonder if this technology is taking away our social perks.  No more first dates at the local bookstores now we rely on Starbucks with FREE Wi-Fi.  We can download everything now a days.  I am an electronic device junky, I can admit that.  I am always surrounded by my cell phone, iPod Touch and eReader.  Recently, you can add an iPad 2 to that list.  All of these devices around me means a lot of chargers to go with me everywhere I go, which my purse and or bag that I carry heavier.  So my question is, is eReading really better or convenient than a paperback book?

I'm trying to get into all of these gadgets as far as reading.  But I guess at heart, I'm just old school and like to turn the crisp pages in a book.  Funny the other day, I downloaded an ibook (same as an eBook) on my iPad and I could place my finger on the screen and literally turn the page.  Wasn't an awe-ha moment for you?  It sure was for me.  I thought to myself that I may actually be evolving into the modern technology world, after all. No sooner did I find myself rushing through the pages to do what, scroll my finger across the screen to "turn the page".  I can't tell you nothing that I read in those pages because of the cute animation I received turning the pages.  So this still makes me wonder which is better eBooks  or paperbacks?  You be the judge!!!!