e-Books
E-books have increased dramatically over the years and are replacing traditional print books. Advantages of e-Books are similar to the advantages of the mp3 players which gained popularity a few years prior. Tablets and computer devices that store e-books can hold numerous more books in a device thinner and weighing less than a physical copy. Pages are made to look identical to that of print or they can be formatted to illuminate like traditional computer screens that the public is used to. Another advantage is that of cost; e-books generally cost less to both the publishing company (less use of raw materials) and in return are cheaper for the consumer to purchase. E-books have the advantage of reducing waste and are more environmentally friendly because the need to cut down trees and use paper is eliminated. Another advantage is that obtaining the book saves the reader time and effort. Before the consumer would have to drive to a brick and mortar store, find where the book was located, and decide to purchase or not. Another option with physical books is to purchase them online, or order them from a store online if not in stock, and then wait a few days to a couple of weeks for the book to ship (paying shipping costs and waiting longer if the book was on back order). With electronic books, the reader can sample the book from the comfort of their own home before deciding to purchase and the book becomes immediately available for use after purchase. These advantages to the consumer have resulted in a rise in the sales of e-books over the past several years. The textbook Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals states, "By July 2010, Amazon reported that sales of e-books surpassed that of print hardcover sales for the first time, with 143 e-books sold for every 100 print hardcover books. From mid-December 2011 through January 2012, the proportion of Americans owning both e-book readers and tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19%, with 29% owning at least one of the devices (Grant and Medows, p.11)."
The future for e-books in the year 2024 can be accurately predicted that the sales will continue to rise and capture an even larger market share versus traditional physical copies. While there will always be those that desire the feel and smell of physical copies, the options available in the year 2024 will most likely be limited to popular novels and texts. Less desirable works of authors will be available as publishing companies make the decision to offer these books electronically only, as sales will not be high enough to justify physical print. This is not to say that e-books are at a disadvantage, because more books are becoming available as establishing authors can have their works published at a lower cost or for free. For the year 2024, I predict that many publishing agencies will be forced to go out of business or change their means of production to electronic publications. Public services such as libraries will begin to offer e-books to their readers. Tablets and other devices will be able to download content for temporary rental, with the library and tax payers paying a fee to the owners of the rights of content for use. Mobile devices such as cell phones already have the capability to purchase and download books, and this trend will continue with not only e-books but also electronic magazines and other publications as well. The job market for publishing agencies will shift to more technical professions as operators of printing presses will be less demanded. This shift in job market fits both the Uses and Gratification Theory and the Media Dependency Theory, as we discussed in those tabs. In return, the job markets in electronic and computer information systems will increase, along with repair technicians of the devices that hold the electronic content and customer service agencies responsible for assisting consumers with technical difficulties. While the advantages of e-books have been highlighted above, one potentially dangerous disadvantage would be a mass interruption in electronic devices, such as a possible effect of a terrorist electromagnetic pulse. It would be a bold statement however to say that all electronic knowledge and publications would be forever lost, as responsible manufacturers would have a few physical copies of each publication in storage to be republished after technological issues were resolved.
The future for e-books in the year 2024 can be accurately predicted that the sales will continue to rise and capture an even larger market share versus traditional physical copies. While there will always be those that desire the feel and smell of physical copies, the options available in the year 2024 will most likely be limited to popular novels and texts. Less desirable works of authors will be available as publishing companies make the decision to offer these books electronically only, as sales will not be high enough to justify physical print. This is not to say that e-books are at a disadvantage, because more books are becoming available as establishing authors can have their works published at a lower cost or for free. For the year 2024, I predict that many publishing agencies will be forced to go out of business or change their means of production to electronic publications. Public services such as libraries will begin to offer e-books to their readers. Tablets and other devices will be able to download content for temporary rental, with the library and tax payers paying a fee to the owners of the rights of content for use. Mobile devices such as cell phones already have the capability to purchase and download books, and this trend will continue with not only e-books but also electronic magazines and other publications as well. The job market for publishing agencies will shift to more technical professions as operators of printing presses will be less demanded. This shift in job market fits both the Uses and Gratification Theory and the Media Dependency Theory, as we discussed in those tabs. In return, the job markets in electronic and computer information systems will increase, along with repair technicians of the devices that hold the electronic content and customer service agencies responsible for assisting consumers with technical difficulties. While the advantages of e-books have been highlighted above, one potentially dangerous disadvantage would be a mass interruption in electronic devices, such as a possible effect of a terrorist electromagnetic pulse. It would be a bold statement however to say that all electronic knowledge and publications would be forever lost, as responsible manufacturers would have a few physical copies of each publication in storage to be republished after technological issues were resolved.