Like I mentioned, I have a Kindle, and I've loaded it with tons of classics and DRM-free materials. It's nice and convenient, and I really like it.
But buying something is different - buying is, by nature, a matter of value. The fact of the matter is, buying a second hand book gives you more value/dollar than buying an ebook at 3 times the cost. An ebook you read once but cannot resell is eight dollars literally lost overnight. You no longer have the eight dollars and you don't have anything worth eight dollars. When you buy the book second hand, you get the same (or better) value of reading the book, but you also retain a residue value that lives forever.
But buying something is different - buying is, by nature, a matter of value. The fact of the matter is, buying a second hand book gives you more value/dollar than buying an ebook at 3 times the cost. An ebook you read once but cannot resell is eight dollars literally lost overnight. You no longer have the eight dollars and you don't have anything worth eight dollars. When you buy the book second hand, you get the same (or better) value of reading the book, but you also retain a residue value that lives forever.