[News] When will printed media become obsolete?

Another aspect of this debate that should be taken into account is the issue of research. Granted, most, if not all research journals are now available online (and a great deal of them exclusively at that), and most people won't ever need to go into a library archive to search for information. However, older issues of many of these journals are yet to have been scanned, and it will be a long time before every single archived piece of info is available in a digital form. This also applies to a great number of books of all kinds, which means that pretty much anybody who likes to read will sooner or later wind up having to look for a paper copy of one.

As far as my own preference for print or digital, I would have to say that I have no quarrel with either. I might lean slightly towards digital, as my eyes aren't weak enough to not be able to withstand looking at a screen for a long time, and there is no question that my apartment could stand to lose a few pounds and square feet of books right now, lacking in space as it is.

Originally Posted by Capo

even the fucking smell

Just you wait! "Kindle, now with Smell-O-Vision!"

You know one of those marketing geniuses will think of it sooner or later.

Edit:

As far as the lighting issue, I much prefer reading on a screen in all situations save direct sunlight. Ever spent a sleepless night reading in a dimly lit room? Or sitting near a window on a sunny afternoon? I certainly have, and I must say that the screen was easier to read from than the page in those instances, given the uniformity of the lighting.

Jam it back in, in the dark.