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Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Books, however, were self-contained until recently....
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Sure. But while there are numerous differences between the two mediums, there are a great deal of similarities. And the reading devices are plummeting in price. I'd be surprised if $100 wifi devices weren't available within 2 years from now.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Elfwreck
It will take much longer for the concept of "book reader" to find its way into the majority of households--and it will be contingent on book readers that are a lot more physically robust, and able to display a lot more types of content well.
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Perhaps, but it doesn't really have to.
Paper magazines and newspaper sales are already cratering. People are fine reading content on smartphones, computers and tablets. And for people who only purchase a handful of books per year, they'll be served by paper for quite some time to come -- just more by online sales and POD than by going to a bookstore.
It will take time, and it is unlikely that physical sales will completely disappear anywhere near as rapidly as the two or three technopundits cited in the article insist. But chances are pretty good that paper sales will slowly decline, and ebook sales will slowly rise.