Quote:
Originally Posted by leebase
Someday -- sure. I'm 45 -- so perhaps in my lifetime. Consider that I spent $3,000 for my first computer about 20 years ago -- and my phone has far more computing power now. In the next 20 years I can't see why ebook technology will make paper books an expensive niche market.
At some point (well within 20 years) -- it will cease being economical to sell paper books as a mass market item. In 20 years we will no longer have a "non-technological" elderly population. 20 years from now, folks 65 yrs old will have grown up in the video age.
So yeah, the writing is on the wall for the mass market of paper books in developed countries. Not sure there's much of a mass market for paper books in the third world as it is.
Lee
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I think the time frame will be much shorter, 5-10 years. Even those who are 60 today have spent 25 years in the computer age and 20 in the mobile phone age. These things are natural to most of them -- except the glue sniffers. Ereaders are so easy to use already, it is just distribution, price, speed, and screen quality that is holding them back.
By that time paper books and newspapers will be an expensive niche market, just as you said. Mainly for books with high quality photos, etc.