Quote:
Originally Posted by fjtorres
I'm a tad skeptical of POD's long-term viability. I'm not sure that the hardware prices are ever coming down to a point where they can replace micro-batch printing with on-site delivery or that the output quality will ever reach the levels needed for the collectible object d'art market.
I might be less skeptical if the likes of Xerox or Ricoh were actually involved in designing and building the things...
(shrug)
Mostly I see (volume) pbook demand dying with genX and the annual catalog of hardcover releases dropping into the low hundreds with sales volume in the hundreds per copy. Pricing zooming into the high triple digits. And that is *with* POD. Timeframe: 2060+.
I expect to see that happen.  |
When I first heard of POD, I thought it was a great idea--allow booksellers to sell any title in the world without the downside of unsold inventory. As time went on and I became more familiar with geographical restrictions and used to e-books, I grew less taken with the idea of POD.
I'm beginning to think that POD may be analogous to the short-lived efforts of record stores to offer custom albums of your choice of singles: an interesting concept that unfortunately has been leapfrogged by changes in tastes and technology.