Old TV interview

[Who's Wee Dug]

Just found this well Feegled it TV interview from almost 18 years ago.

[Bouncy Castle]

Cool.

[SimonAtford]

Ah CD Roms. Remember when they were the future?

[ramtopsman]

I think its funny how titmarsh asks if computers will be the main source for reading in the future and terry says NO because people wont want to look at a screen Oh how he couldn't be more wrong never make a prediction of the future thats what i say

[SimonAtford]

Possibly but I think that books and E-readers will coexist for quite some time yet.

[Bouncy Castle]

I think its funny how titmarsh asks if computers will be the main source for reading in the future and terry says NO because people wont want to look at a screen Oh how he couldn't be more wrong never make a prediction of the future thats what i say

In that case, why is he making his titles available on Kindle?

[Jason]

The thing about predictions is that you can never know what will happen in the future. What Terry said made sense at the time. Very few people would want to spend hours in front of an old CRT monitor reading a book. LCD monitors improved matters a lot and eInk screens are brilliant but so far removed from the tech that was available at the time of the prediction.

I agree that books and ebooks will do-exist for some time. Whenever I look to purchase new titles now I will check to see if the ebook price is cheaper / available especially if the book is large and heavy. I like the feel of real books and I like ebooks. I guest what I really like though is the stories within.

[Who's Wee Dug]

With some new authors I am tending to download the e-book after I have read the preview of it, the last big novel I downloaded was Reamde about 1200 pages or thereabouts,too big to read in bed comfortably.

[SimonAtford]

I have a sort of theory that paperbacks might disappear but hardbacks might survive as nice objects for collectors. A similar thing seems with music downloads replacing CDs whilst vinyl still sells to enthusiast.

[simmonds91]

You may be right Simon, I for one only get hardbacks of any new books now, it was at first because I couldn't wait for the paperbacks to come out and the strength of them (wont crumple or wear out as quickly) but now that I have bought so many it would be like.... disrupting the pattern? It's why I don't want the new paperback re-prints for the first books (I don't mind paperback but it has a new desighn you see)

[The Mad Collector]

I have a sort of theory that paperbacks might disappear but hardbacks might survive as nice objects for collectors. A similar thing seems with music downloads replacing CDs whilst vinyl still sells to enthusiast.

As a collector of paperbacks, I have well over 2,500 and Folio editions (slipcased hardbacks), over 800 of those, I have to say that the paperbacks days are far from numbered. Many more paperbacks are sold than hardbacks even now which is certainly not the case with CD and vinyl which is completely the opposite of the case you are puitting.

[Who's Wee Dug]

As the hardbacks keeps getting more expensive to buy, I don't see the demise of the paperback anytime soon, as publishers they won't take a chance on a new untried author for a 1st novel in a hardback due to production costs, it would be cutting me own throat Gov.