Benefits:
A kindle (and SOME of the nooks) are not backlit. There is no eyestrain that many people get from reading too long on a computer screen.
Yes, you can read on your computer (see above about eyestrain) and it's not terribly conveneient to read your computer on the train, the bus, in the doctor's office.
Yes, you can read on your smartphone (see above about eyestrain).
For the weight of a single paperback, you can carry your entire collection with you.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.