"Why don't digital SLRs do away with the mirror entirely and simply feature a LCD and viewfinder that simply displays the live view from the CMOS or CCD sensors?"
Because the mirror is an integral part of the Single Reflex Camera--without the mirror they would no longer be SLRs--google "SLR" for more details.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
"Why don't digital SLRs do away with the mirror entirely and simply feature a LCD and viewfinder that simply displays the live view from the CMOS or CCD sensors?"
Because the mirror is an integral part of the Single Reflex Camera--without the mirror they would no longer be SLRs--google "SLR" for more details.
This is just semantics. It is irrelevant to whether an electronic viewfinder could replace an optical viewfinder in a DSLR.