joxur wrote: An iPhone or google device can do everything you like about the kindle, and twice as many the kindle can't do, for half the cost up front. They are also small enough to fit in your pocket.
Except it can't. The reason I have a kindle is for reading. There's no backlight, so unlike all other computer devices, it doesn't strain my eyes. It also uses very little energy when offline. I can adjust the font size. 
For anyone with any type of vision problems, a kindle is one of the best things ever. 
And I can purchase most new releases for under $10 through Amazon...instead of paying the $20+ I normally would for a hardback edition.
I have no monthly service fees. I have no fees of any kind, other than any books I'd like to purchase more cheaply than I would a real book. My library is maintained on Amazon, so I don't even have to maintain the books on my kindle device if I don't want to (though I prefer to have all my books accessible to me which is why I have a memory chip).
It allows me to reduce my library, not eliminate it. I'll be keeping most of my first editions and rare volumes. But any book I own I can put on my kindle by scanning it in, converting it to a pdf and then mailing it directly to my kindle address, which converts it (font preservation, illustrations and all) to a kindle book.
And it's certainly worthwhile to me to do so, as it allows me to preserve rare volumes in case of destruction of the real book (fire, flood, whatever)...something I wouldn't normally be bothered to do, except that I can use the book more easily on the kindle, and read it without concern of damage.
Again, YMMV, but for anyone who is a book lover, an iphone isn't even close to being a competitor. And all the additional bells and whistles are simply that; nice additions.
I know people who've owned other e-books, such as the Sony one, who've also used a kindle. All of them have either converted to a kindle, or in the case of one person I know they're anxiously waiting for 2.0 so they can convert...even though it means they lose their Sony library, since Sony's books cannot be converted to other formats. =\
Some users wish it wasn't a greytone scale. Personally I don't mind this only because old illustrations look FANTASTIC. Wood cut illustrations, and old black and white ones are just wonderful. I purchased the entire Sherlock Holmes series through Amazon (even though it's available free as it's in the public domain, as an ebook in many locations) because it came with the original illustrations that appeared in the Strand.
It was a whopping three dollars.
I love my kindle and it was worth every single penny. I'd give up my cell phone and my computer before I'd give it up. 
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Her decision means she made nothing, though of course I bought all of them in hardback previously anyway.