I read today that the fabled Oxford English Dictionary will most likely never be printed again. When the next edition comes out, it’ll most likely be in digital format only. In the article, a pundit predicted that the death of the book was imminent. I somehow doubt that books will really fade away that quickly. I think that versatile tablets like the iPad, rather than one-trick ponies like the Nook or Kindle, are going to be the future of e-reading. But the iPad and its imitators are going to have to become a lot more common, and a lot cheaper, before demand for ebooks completely supplants demand for printed books.
Eventually, I think the day will come when printed books are relegated to the same niche market as vinyl records. And part of me is saddened by that. Books have been a huge part of my life and, even as a kid, I thought there was something thrilling about going to a bookstore and browsing for something new to read. There’s a little spark of magic there that you just can’t get downloading something over Amazon’s Whispernet.
But even I have to admit that sometimes convenience trumps magic. I don’t own a fancy tablet or an e-reader. All I have is the Kindle App for my iPhone, and I’ll be the first to admit that the iPhone isn’t the best platform for reading. It’s acceptable and that’s about it. Still, there is something to be said for being able to download a book from the comfort of your home without being forced to run to the store. And if you live in a small space like I do, it’s nice not to have another physical book to take up valuable shelf space.
What do you think about the digital revolution in reading? How long do you think it’ll be before ebooks are the norm and paper books are only purchased for their nostalgia value?
Codex Lochianus 