I, too, like the printed timetables better. If I know where I am starting and ending, I am fine with going into the Amtrak website and looking up the best train and getting my ticket online. But if I want several options, I would like to see them all at once in a book.
The printed timetable also has other uses, especially for infrequent travelers or those not familiar with trains:
The timetable allows you to try different routes just by turning pages and plan an adventure.
The photos make you feel like train travel is something enjoyable and more than just transportation.
The photos of places advertised show you some places you might not have thought of going.
You can pick up a couple of printed timetables so that you can give one away to a friend who says "I've been thinking about taking the train but don't know where to start."
In other words, when Amtrak dumped the printed timetable, they lost a good marketing tool.
And yes, I'd be willing to pay a few dollars for it, and I would recycle it when the next one came out.