Amazon Announces The Decline Of Paperback Books

The writing is on the digital wall for the printed word: Amazon.com has announced that in January, Kind eBook sales finally outstripped sales of Paperback books. This month, Amazon sold 115 kindle e-books for every 100 paperback books. Hardcovers meanwhile are lagging behind by some way, with three hundred digital books for every 100 hardbacks. And despite very strong competition from Apple's iPad (which has a kindle store app), Amazon's kindle device was purchased 8 million times last year. This is being taken as proof that the sale of E-books isn't just a passing fad: if two opposing devices are selling, there's clearly a new and valid way of consuming these products being born. When we Fly Drive Australia or take a journey anywhere else in the world, we'll have these useful devices constantly at our side to entertain us. Can't we?

The sales figures for one retailer are not the worldwide picture of course, but they do beg the question whether there is a long term market for non-digital products. But aren't we putting ourselves behind the tech too quickly? Would these expensive (and electronic) devices really come with us for extended Australia tours? There's pros and cons either way. As far as the environmental benefits go, there's a lot to say for the Kindle. Trees shouldn't have to die for Karin Slaughter, and postal vans shouldn't have to be run for Stephanie Meyer. The space saving is also something worth remarking upon and there's no danger of bookmarks falling out when you knock them off the table.

But despite the fact that these are electronic devices, they're still somehow less versatile than a book in dead tree format. Categorically, students cannot work on Kindles. Layabout types who don't actually do any work won't be able to afford them, hard workers will simply find them completely unwieldy when it comes to taking notes. But most critical of all, books just mix with certain environments a lot better. You're not going to have a kindle with you by the poolside as you cruise Australia? Damage assessment with a paper book: a pile of black and white goo and a net loss of five pounds. With a kindle? At least one hundred pounds down the drain.