The Book Is Dead, Long Live the E-Book

by Ken Orr, The Cutter Business Technology Council

Over the last two decades, electronic versions of traditional media (music, photographs, movies, newspapers, and magazines) have wreaked havoc with established major media giants, retailers, and entire markets; this is about to happen again with books. Although e-books have been around as long as the other electronic media, the emergence of new-generation e-book readers, wireless downloads, and vast libraries now for sale, rent, or sharing is now making significant inroads in the oldest of all media. In the next few years, it is predicted that the traditional book market will suffer the same dire fate as all other media. It is further predicted that because of the central role that books play in the world's educational systems, the attack of the e-book will bring with it major social upheavals as well.