On top of which I don't see books going the way of the dodo, ever. Digital processes are not a 1:1 substitution for the physical world (a forum isn't a café, p

On top of which I don't see books going the way of the dodo, ever. Digital processes are not a 1:1 substitution for the physical world (a forum isn't a café, period), but industry-wise they let us enhance the latter. Tech isn't about selling just tech, it's about making all the things better and/or cheaper, faster, etc. It's an industrial step up, way beyond its inherent end-use. For instance, go to any hardware store, and compare offer and price with 20-30 years ago (inflation aside), then tell me our days aren't a child's dream by comparison (include 'features' such as precise cuts, delivery, and other services). Or in the world of audio/video (wherein DigitalAnalog conversion happens, and perfection isn't attainable, only "good enough"), the kind of sound experience you can get today for a few hundred bucks dances around multi-grand systems from the 1990's. As I see it, years from now, you'll be able to buy books made in some fancy paper-like material for the equivalent of a few cents. Just like today IKEA manages to sell stuff for 10x less than 30-40 years ago.