I like to think of the topic from a different angle. According to me a technology as handy as an printed book can never die. As an analogy I would like to present the case of radio v/s TV.
Before the advent of TV radio was the main mode of entertainment. But as TV started to take over the market everyone speculated that radio may never be able to catch up and will die for sure.But radio still exists. Why?Because it now survives in very small but concentrated markets like car radios.(I know mp3players are now more dominant in developed countries like the US,but for developing countries and other less privileged people radio is still a luxury in cars and taxis).New radio stations are being created and now in my city i have 6 options where when six to seven years back there was just 2.
In the same way, paper books may never lose there market and may never die. There would be always an increasing number of book stores springing up at every corner.Devices like kindle have surely revolutionized the eBook market,but we must except that what kindle did was make a market of its own rather than attracting attention from other markets.
Also due to the mindless DRM's and copyright issues with ebooks, you may never have the pleasure of having the feeling that you OWN the book. You cannot lend it to a friend, you cannot store it somewhere other than your kindle,you cannot redeem half its value at a second hand book shop. These special privileges are only offered by a good old printed paper book which you can carry in your hand.
Before the advent of TV radio was the main mode of entertainment. But as TV started to take over the market everyone speculated that radio may never be able to catch up and will die for sure.But radio still exists. Why?Because it now survives in very small but concentrated markets like car radios.(I know mp3players are now more dominant in developed countries like the US,but for developing countries and other less privileged people radio is still a luxury in cars and taxis).New radio stations are being created and now in my city i have 6 options where when six to seven years back there was just 2.
In the same way, paper books may never lose there market and may never die. There would be always an increasing number of book stores springing up at every corner.Devices like kindle have surely revolutionized the eBook market,but we must except that what kindle did was make a market of its own rather than attracting attention from other markets.
Also due to the mindless DRM's and copyright issues with ebooks, you may never have the pleasure of having the feeling that you OWN the book. You cannot lend it to a friend, you cannot store it somewhere other than your kindle,you cannot redeem half its value at a second hand book shop. These special privileges are only offered by a good old printed paper book which you can carry in your hand.