Wolf – “Why should it be any worse than using a paper book?”
Short answer: Tradition.
We dress “traditional”, some even wear the clothes of the “old country” (at various levels: homberg, kapotte, shtreimel, white socks, knickers etc.). We certainly don’t wear latest styles of clothing and hairstyles. This is because we keep to our “Traditions”.
Yes, after a while the tradition evolves, especially after the porkay ol are poretz geder, but we, the frum olom, are not to be the “Nachshon ben Aminodov” of tumah to jump into new cultures and styles.
If this applies to our livush and our hairstyle, how much more so to our learning in the bais hamedresh, that it should remain as true as possible to the bais hamedresh in Villna, in Lodz, Lublin, Rastov etc. The learning in the bais hamedresh should be in a way that if the Vilna Goan walked in, he would know he is in a mokom Torah. He should see chavrusas leaning over a Vilna Shas, not a Kindle or Ipad!