http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/ Engadget Comments for Sony predicts digital content will overtake print 'within five years' http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Not a chance. In Japan maybe. Or in the age group of 14-29 years. But no way that digital media will outsell print media in 5 years. No no way.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/i'm not much of an environmentalist, well i am, but its not on my mind 24/7. But i really can't wait until the day that newspapers, magazines, books are all completely digital. i'm tired of seeing that trash always left behind. ]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
all digital =/= environmental

:(]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Agreed. Trees grow back and books decompose.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 7:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 9:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/It's bold and also an ATRACtive prediction.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 10:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/As much as I love my Sony Reader, holding a paperback still feels so so good.]]>Jun 4th 2010 2:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
eBook readers have cons, but they also definitely have massive pros. Let's see:

Cons:
* The device is more expensive.
* e-ink page turning is still slow.
* Not great contrast ratio (about as good as newspaper)
* Not as robust as books.
* No colour yet (minor IMO).

Pros:
* Content is cheaper, or free.
* Can take and entire library with you.
* Books are searchable.
* Books can be reformatted (e.g. larger text).
* You can read content that you would otherwise have to print out (e.g. word docs, scientific papers, sheet music from imslp, etc.)
* Much better for reading in bed, or one handed.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
You're leaving out a lot of cons:

You can't resell the books
You can't lend the books (the Nook solved this? not sure)
Batteries run out
Higher cost to replace--if you drop a paperback in the mud it's not the end of the world
Incompatible ereader formats
The screen is still on the small side, especially compared to a hardback.

I like the idea of an ereader a lot and hope some day I can get behind one. But I really don't see them overtaking dead wood sales in the next in five years.
]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Drop them both out of a four story window and see which one you can still read.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
I'm absolutely with you on this one. And I assume both of us are fans of new gadgets and we still wouldn't trade our creased paper books with all their dogears for an e-reader. And then look at the general public. You will find hardly anybody who would rather feel an aluminum or plastic case in their hands. It's all about senses.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
yeah but if I drop a book I'm still going to be able to read it. If I drop a kindle/nook/sony e-reader/ipad I can't do squat with it in some cases and I'm out a few hundred bucks.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Pros/cons: eReader screens can be made bigger. And compared to hardbacks, I almost broke my back while lugging several hardback textbooks on a plane. I would have welcomed an eReader full of all my textbooks.

Formats will be unified similar to music. Legal reselling will probably follow - I am betting that Amazon, etc. will become middle men and buyback digital books at a price attractive to seller and so that they can re-release (the same serialize copy to someone else.)

I get your point on replacement cost but you have to replace the reader but not likely the content - It's digital. Similar to iPods - when I replace my iPod, I do not have to repurchase my music, I simply restore a new one from backup. (But eReaders are helping to save trees.)


]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Paperbacks, that are often times smaller and more easily pocketable, are $8 and under.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
I love new gadgets. I have already pre-ordered the HTC Evo. Going in at 12 tomorrow to buy it at BB, apparently I had to set up an appointment to buy my phone. But as it stands, an e-book/e-reader will never, ever, replace the satisfaction I get when I pick up a brand new book for the first time or and old one for the 500th time. Coincidently, the smell of a brand new book is one of my favorite smells in the world.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Cons:
* The device is more expensive. (price will go down fast)
* e-ink page turning is still slow. (new/better displays have already been anounced)
* Not great contrast ratio (same thing)
* Not as robust as books.(i'll give you this..)
* No colour yet (minor IMO).(same thing)]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/I love my Sony Reader and would add to your 'pro' list the checking out free Overdrive eBooks from public libraries. Downloadable EPUB selection continues to grow at my library. The last 7 books I've read have been in digital format. I agree with your last 'pro' completely. I love the simplicity of comfortable reading in bed without moving my head or arms, the pages fly by.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 11:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/About 20 years ago there was a lot of bruha of the paperless office. I'm still waiting to see one. Books will survive even longer than office paper.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 4:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Then digital content won't take over print, it will simply DESTROY both...due to piracy...at least, that's what the supporters of DRM and copyrights want you to believe...]]>Jun 3rd 2010 2:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
How about a universal format with universal DRM instead? Unless you are a thief, DRM as a concept is not a significant problem. DRM as it is currently implemented, however, is a major problem for consumers. ]]>Jun 3rd 2010 2:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
> How about a universal format with universal DRM instead? Unless
> you are a thief, DRM as a concept is not a significant problem.
> DRM as it is currently implemented, however, is a major problem
> for consumers.

NONSENSE.

You don't have to be a thief to find DRM objectionable. It is a barrier to getting full use out of your own property that you paid for fair and square. DRM by it's very nature makes standardization more difficult and generally leads to either single vendor solutions or cartels that mercilessly oppress innovators.

"Universal DRM" is a fairy tale.

iTunes, CSS, AACS and CableCard already handily demonstrate this.

All DRM does is interfere with my use of the product. It doesn't actually stop anything. It simply makes the product less useful.

Not everyone is a sheep that needs to be led around by the nose by Apple.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 5:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
In 5 years more people that only read print will have died and more people that only read digital will emerge as readers (high school students will be or begin earning wages - having gone to college or not), more people will simply adopt the eReaders simply because their family and friends suggest or encourage them to do so.

Print is not dead but it dying. And no one should feel bad about it. You can the more news from nytimes.com than you can get from the printed paper. The same is true for Financial Times, and other great newspapers. My biggest disappointment is the slow adoption from good textbooks and the difficulty to bringing color e-ink to market.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Anyways, as to the statement of iPad vs Kindle...I've read a little on my father's iPad...its ok, but I definitely prefer the Kindle screen.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 2:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
today in the train, the tech section was a blatant word for word print of what we all live read/video highlighted here at Engadget D8

it infact had less info.

But a bunch of useless news was aplenty. need to get a PSP man ]]>Jun 3rd 2010 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
And to think, I just finished writing my first book :( Who's going to read it? Hell, how many people can even understand what I wrote in this post?]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
I'd love to see the data on this - Americas literacy rate compared to other countries. We all know of a few people that are less literate or we've heard about how Americans do not read and that we are becoming less literate but the reality is that other countries are struggling with this as well. It is more remarkable in the USA since we so advanced in other ways. There is not a crisis - yet. If you watch TV, and read certain headlines, you are being influenced by improperly reported research - if any research was even included in the report.

I try my best not to butcher the English language when writing anything. Including: email, blog, tweet, or text. I sometimes cringe a bit when I see others butcher the language or ignore important yet subtle rules such as missing or misplaced commas. (While reading blogs, I see that few people know how to properly punctuate sentences.) And I am sure that I have made a fair share of mistakes in my writing here. However it is not the end of the world. Our country will continue to make progress. We may lose some ground from time to time due to wiser and more literate countries but overall America will be fine.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
'Americans, are becoming strikingly less literate at an astounding pace"

Novel reading was up last year.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
Please understand that to pay the mortgage I "teach" mathematics to poor high school students in a poor region of the SF Bay Area. I have had good, successful years with these kids but recently it's been continuously declining.

They write identically to how they text. It's because "good enough" works reliably, especially for English. At first they would write like that in personal notes, but now it's moved right into essays and notes and other elements of written work actually produced for school. And the most recent of them never actually learned to produce written work the "proper" way.

Sadly, I could make the argument that because no official body performs administration and legitimization for the "American English" language, that the language doesn't need to be written so properly -- anything that clearly gets the idea across could be considered valid simply since there is no governing body.

The younger generation... I don't know if they start at 1985 birthdays but at least at 1990. There is actually a whole host of other problems that goes with it, but I have seen steady decline among poor kids, and we all know poor kids breed three generations for every two non-poor kids, and we all know poor kids have more children than non-poor kids.

Do the math.

English is gone. It will be replaced with a bizarre, right-brained pidgin form very soon.

You should read some of my bosses' writing. LOL.]]>Jun 3rd 2010 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/
good bye print]]>Jun 3rd 2010 3:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/03/sony-predicts-digital-content-will-overtake-print-within-five-y/Jun 3rd 2010 3:57PM