Complete diffusion

[Kumabjorn]

What would be a sign that eReaders have arrived completely. That they are so ubiquitous that it is a surprise when people don't have one, like say how you sometimes can't reach certain bureaucrats on nothing but e-mail? They don't want to talk to anyone anymore and if you don't have e-mail, that is your problem, not theirs.

For me, I think it would be that electronic gadgets no longer came with printed manuals, but that you would download it, and it would be offered in MOBI and EPUB for your convenience.

[Penforhire]

First, when more best-selling books are released in electronic form than in paper form. Another would be, to me, when they become standard issue for reading textbooks in grade school.

[charmian]

I guess they will have completely arrived when all in-print books are available electronically, and it becomes unthinkable to publish a book without a digital edition. Rights-holders have digitized most of the still-selling back catalog of books. Most books you are interested in, new or old, are available digitally some how.

E-readers (or general purpose devices that can read ebooks) are cheap, maybe about the cost of a mp3 player/the cost of a portable CD player. Most people have one, even if they rarely read books.

[ebusinesstutor]

I'm with penperhire. When it is unheard of to publish a book without a digital version and it is known the digital version will sell more than the print one.

We are getting close. More and more people are reading on various devices. I haven't bought a newspaper or a magazine in ages as I get that online via my tablet.

[fjtorres]

When a kid sees you reading a print book and says: "What's that?"
And if you tell them, they roll their eyes, mutter under their breath, and move along.
(Hasn't happened to me yet but the day is coming...)

[BeccaPrice]

It's already newsworthy when a Big Name Author (like Steven King - or is it Stephen? I never can remember) decides to *not* release a digital copy

[david_e]

.....

[elemenoP]

At least we have come far enough that most everyone knows what an ereader *is* when they see one (even if they call it a Kindle). The first time I brought mine "home to the family" at Christmastime, someone asked me if it was my phone!

My daughter is 7 now and I wonder if, at some point in her education, she will be required by the school to have a reader or tablet.

eP

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

First, when more best-selling books are released in electronic form than in paper form. Another would be, to me, when they become standard issue for reading textbooks in grade school.

^ this like "what do you mean with you have no $_device?" When vast majority is puzzled in such case. Think TV for nowdays.

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

What would be a sign that eReaders have arrived completely. That they are so ubiquitous that it is a surprise when people don't have one

They are? In the year I've had my Kobo, I've seen *1* ereader out in the wild in my area (a city of 360k people), and only a single tablet (that 5" Samsung one).

[sadievan]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

When a kid sees you reading a print book and says: "What's that?"
And if you tell them, they roll their eyes, mutter under their breath, and move along.
(Hasn't happened to me yet but the day is coming...)

Carol

[ebusinesstutor]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

When a kid sees you reading a print book and says: "What's that?"
And if you tell them, they roll their eyes, mutter under their breath, and move along.
(Hasn't happened to me yet but the day is coming...)

You mean like 8-tracks?

[speakingtohe]

I work in a restaurant on the Alaska Highway with about 90% transient business.

3 years ago I had the only ereader in town and saw about 6 in 5 months.
2 years ago at least 20 were owned locally out of a poulation of 400, mostly non-readers (10 by people who liked mine) and I saw approximately the same numer of readers as printed books being read.
iPads were showing up but nobody I asked (and I asked everyone) actually read books on them.

This year I see far more tablets than readers and one tablet owner told me they read books on it.
But... I see far more ebook readers than paper books being read. Online activities are more prevalent and newspapers are stiil the preferred reading of choice though in a restaurant so who can say for sure.

Helen