Will eBook replace paper book?

Should we declare the traditional book as an endangered specie? Current trends show that e-book popularity is growing and it may become the format of choice for most people in the near future. Publishers and books sellers are reporting that the e-book sales are up by as much as four or five times over last year.

Industry analysts and other are predicting this trend to continue. Steve Ballmer even thinks that electronic format will completely replace paper publications in about 10 years.

“There will be no media consumption left in 10 years that is not delivered over an IP network. There will be no magazines that are delivered in paper form. Everything get delivered in an electronic form.” Steve Ballmer.


This growing popularity of digital format is understandable. e-book has many advantages over its paper counterpart. I’ll list just a few of them here.

  • Easy to carry.
  • Accessible from anywhere. If you use any online storage service; like DropBox you can access your copy of e-book from anywhere where you have a computer and internet connection.
  • Finding a phrase in an ebook is easier than in a paper book.
  • They cost less to produce and hence are cheaper than paper books.
  • Environment friendly. e-book reduces the usage of ink and paper that saves trees. Unless, ofcourse, if you want to print your version of e-book.

It is no surprise that many schools are adapting e-books for their students. I myself bought few e-books in last few months and I sure am happy with my experience.

Share your opinion about this growing trend. Do you like e-book format or not?