I agree that proprietary formats can be very limiting. But "ebook" doesn't necessarily mean the Kindle. You can get PDF-format ebooks on your computer now, and the Sony Reader can display PDF files. At the moment, it doesn't format them real well, but there's a converter program for the Sony. I can buy e-book versions of textbooks now, I think, actually.
Couple that with cheap printers and printer connections, and you can print out anything important. Last quarter, I had a math textbook that was 4-5 inches thick, with 4-5 pages of practice problems for every page of useful information. It made it very difficult to go back and find specific formulas. Something more editable/selectively printable would have been very useful.
PJ
