Bookstores [Was: Re: Going OT [Was: Re: Replacing PBXes with Open Source]]

[Michael Costolo]

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 20:48:55 -0400, Ted Roche <tedroche at tedroche.com> wrote:
> In a large time scale, I agree with Ben and maddog that paper will
> likely go the way of papyrus, 

Don't forget that papyrus was only replaced with the dried pulp of a
different plant and some more refined processing.  Aside from
modernization of technique, it hasn't changed in thousands of years.

And electronics, computers in particular, have changed dramatically in
just the last decade.  A book can be picked up and read by anyone, at
any time.  Try and find a working 5 1/4" disk drive.  Or an old tape
drive that used the audio-style casettes (a-la the TRS-80).  Or a
punch card reader.  Or, for that matter, a laser-disk player.

I'm not yet convinced that giving up low-tech solutions to low tech
problems is going to completely win out.  Especially in light of the
relatively quick obsolescence of high tech gadgetry.  Not that
electronic publications won't have their place.  They are already
making strides into former dead tree space like software and hardware
manuals.  And scientific journals make electronic downloads available;
some offer online-only subscriptions.  But personally, I don't expect
to see e-books taking market share without some revolutionary event
taking place.  Printed books are just too good in too many areas.

> but in the short run, it's much harder to
> predict. Master Yoda says  "Always in motion is the future." We live in
> interesting times!

Absolutely!

-- 
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by
those who have not got it."
-George Bernard Shaw