Originally Posted by SpiderMatt
I really don't think paper books and magazines will become a "niche market" because I think there will always be a large enough consumer market for them. There are advantages to having a paper book or magazine that can't be replicated in ebooks. I'm thinking specifically of skimming purposes. It's so much easier to flip through a book or magazine than it is to go through an ebook. Ebook search functions are useful but only if you know exactly what you're looking for. Being cheap and disposable is another useful feature, whether you think so personally or not. Fifteen to twenty dollars might not seem particularly cheap but it is when compared to a dedicated reading device. People with as much disposable income as Americans are willing to purchase books on a whim to just read and toss aside. The clearest evidence of this is probably bookstores at airports, where many customers are just looking for something to distract them for a few hours during the flight. This last bit may be a non issue when dedicated device get cheaper, though.
Also, think of doctor's offices and other waiting rooms around the country. They're probably not going to be setting out an expensive, fragile piece of hardware for anyone to come in and pick up. Magazines will have have their place in waiting rooms until reading on cellphones is so ubiquitous that people stop picking up the magazines. Even then, I have a hard time imagining walking into a waiting room devoid of any free reading material.
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