Same story on Yahoo! News (via Associated Press), here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100829/...onary_s_demise
Quote:
[...] Publisher Oxford University Press said Sunday that burgeoning demand for the dictionary's online version has far outpaced demand for the printed versions. By the time the lexicographers behind the dictionary finished revising and updating the latest edition — a gargantuan task that will take many more years — publishers are doubtful there will still be a market for the printed form.
The online Oxford English Dictionary now gets 2 million hits a month from subscribers. The current printed edition — a hefty 20-volume, 750 pound ($1,165) set published in 1989 — has sold about 30,000 sets in total.
"At present we are experiencing increasing demand for the online product," a statement from the publisher said. "However a print version will certainly be considered if there is sufficient demand at the time of publication." [...]
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I love dictionaries, too, but I must say that my use of p-references has shriveled in the last several years. The search function and the ability to cut and paste from definitions into documents and e-mails trump the quaint charms of paper every time. Also, the sheer convenience of being able to right-click on a word to look it up.