Lately I’ve been pretty fascinated with the latest big e-Reader device, the Amazon Kindle, and I’ve been reading reviews, trying to gauge how people feel about it. Strangely, the almost unanimous sentiment across the web is the Amazon Kindle is doomed to fail. The dubious reaction kind of has me surprised, especially since gadget gurus and tech heads are usually the first to embrace any possible shift into the digital realm. How is it that paper is the one analog medium that people can’t seem to let go of? Weren’t bookstores predicted to die a long time ago?

Okay, so I have yet to actually try a Kindle yet myself, and I don’t really see myself buying one anytime soon. There are a few things that concern me, including the price and the sketchy issue of DRM protected content. But that said, I can definitely see myself using a device like this in the not too distant future, and the Kindle is the first e-reader that may actually have the potential to truly change the way people read.

Here are the things I really like about it:

1. Easier on the Eyes than an LCD - A lot of people have complained about the fact that it has no backlight, but they’re kind of missing the point. Neither does a book. One of the biggest barriers to digital reading devices has always been eye strain, and the E-ink display that the Kindle uses is a static image that feels a lot more natural (or so I’ve heard). As an added bonus, the display technology doesn’t actually consume power unless you are turning a page — which means the battery will last a pretty long time (from two days with the wi-fi always enabled to a week with it disabled).

2. Newspaper/Magazine Subscriptions - Although the selection of newspaper and magazine subscriptions is currently somewhat limited, I think this is a brilliant addition to their feature list. For one thing, newspapers and magazines are generally seen as disposable, so this is one area where most people don’t care about owning the physical hard copy. You could argue that it’s redundant because most newspapers and magazines have a lot of their features online for free (which is true), but this opens up possibilities for newspapers and magazines to deliver ad-free content and maybe actually survive the digital age.

3. Built-in Web Browser - This is huge, although strangely the Kindle’s web browser is currently hidden away in an “Experimental” menu — whatever that means. Giving people a lightweight, portable web browser that is a bit easier to read and type on than a cellphone or PDA is a big deal. Plus it gives you the ability to avoid that pesky fee for blog RSS subscriptions on the Kindle.

4. Plays Audiobooks and MP3s - Not necessary but a nice bonus. I’d still rather listen to MP3s and audiobooks on an iPod, but this will do in a pinch.

5. Reasonably Priced Books - At $9.99 for most new releases, you’re saving money on a lot of the exorbitant hardcover list prices. It would be nice to have a decent variety of bargain books for download too though.

Here are the missing features that would really win me over:

1. Unrestricted File Uploads / Better Format Compatibility - Okay so hackers will probably figure this one out soon enough, but I think it goes without saying that users deserve the ability to upload anything they want to their Kindle without being charged for it. Just like an iPod, we need to be able to scan in hard copies of books and documents that we already own, assuming we actually want to go through the effort to do it (obviously scanning in an entire book is a bit crazy, and most people would rather just buy the digital version anyway). The Kindle allows you to transfer some files with a USB cable, but certain formats must be converted to their proprietary format. Also, the lack of PDF compatibility is a bit silly too.

2. Colour Display - Technically speaking, I’m not sure how hard this would be for them to pull off, but it would be nice if the Kindle could do more than just a grayscale display. For your average book, colour isn’t an issue, but for magazines, websites and children’s books, it’s pretty much essential. Also, the full cover artwork for a book adds more to the experience of reading than a lot of people realize.

3. Comic Books - This follows directly from my last point. If they can figure out the colour limitations, then they absolutely must find a way to bring comic books to this device as well. A lot of people download comics nowadays because they just can’t afford to buy them all. The individual issues are becoming more of an item for collectors, while those of us who just want to read the stories, wait for the trade paperback. This would be a great alternative. Marvel just recently jumped on the digital bandwagon and launched digital subscription service of their own, which would be huge if they could work out a deal with Amazon.

4. Monthly Subscription Service for Book Downloads - I know this might be asking a bit much right now, but I still think that the future of digital content will come from subscription fees rather than paying for single downloads. I don’t know if this is economically feasible, but it certainly sounds ideal from a consumer point of view. Obviously an “unlimited” number of permanent downloads wouldn’t work, but maybe if you could rent books for a limited time, or have a set fee for a decent number of downloads per month.

5. Cheaper Price - I guess this goes without saying, but at $400, the Kindle is currently too expensive for all but the most hardcore book nuts. Bring the price to a more reasonable level and I think there would be a lot more people willing to take a chance on it.

Even though a lot of people still prefer the physical experience of reading an actual book, I think it’s inevitable that e-books will take over eventually. Hey, if they had it on Star Trek, then it’s gonna be reality, right? I don’t know if the Kindle will be the device that finally takes the concept to the mainstream, but I think it’s certainly going to have an impact one way or another.