Quote:
Originally Posted by jocampo
The only future proof and true standard right now for books is a real book, one made from paper.
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You just broached a big topic.
A few years ago,
Spectrum magazine had an article that claimed all of our records are in danger. One problem is the shifting world of digital formats, as you have indicated. Magnetic media are assaulted by ambient magnetic fields. Even CDs apparently deteriorate. The surprising one is that most paper in use today has a high acid content which causes the paper to deteriorate with age.
To make the point about general vulnerability, the article asked the reader if we've ever seen a clip from SuperBowl I. Have you? No? You never will. It was filmed by two independent broadcasting companies, but both companies accidentally destroyed the films. We have no video record of SuperBowl I!
Back to ebooks, you're right that standards keep changing, but I'm still guessing that EPUB will be readable the rest of my life--assuming I can keep it safe on some storage medium.