[CCDMan]

As it always does, the market will determine price. Once devices are cheap, it could be that more reading will ensue, not less, since no trip to the store will be required and spur of the moment purchases will be enabled (look at the Apple app store for that).

The real problem now for much media is that we are in the very early stages. It could easily take another 20 years for devices to become dirt cheap and ubiquitous and one or two formats to become dominant and DRM to go away. We see that happening to a degree in the music industry and the first mp3 player was 1998 - that is now only a bit over half of the 20 years I suggest. It may or may not take that long for books (or movies and TV) but it surely won't be quick for any media.

Reading will survive as will publishers, but I think that the guy is right, they will likely evolve into more publicists than publishers.