People gather around to look and touch and try it out. The second reaction comes as soon as the SoftBook is put in anyone's hand. It's too heavy. It would be uncomfortable to hold for hours on end. After using the SoftBook for a bit, the third and almost unanimous reaction is that it's cool and fun to try, but it just doesn't seem worth messing with.
Paper still wins.
I pretty much fit that mold, too. There's no question the SoftBook, which is the first of a few electronic books to hit the market, is a nifty piece of work. It's what computers should be. With just four buttons and a simple on-screen menu, it's extremely easy to figure out. The designers have worked hard to make SoftBook a booklike experience or improve on bound paper.