Scanning through the news headlines this morning, I came across this article saying that the local phonebook company was expanding its digital media unit. That sounds like good business sense to me, but the thing which troubled me was a quote from the company saying that
… that does not mean that print directories are on the way out.
That quote makes me wonder if they get it. In my opinion, print media is on the way out pretty much across the board. The only exception I can see is possibly news papers, where the “scanability” of the print edition is a significant advantage. However, anyone who uses RSS feeds, and follows blogs knows that print news papers are no longer the first source for news.
I find it hard to imagine why any company would choose to deliver several kilograms of phonebook to every house and business in the country, when a simple website, or even a CD could do the job far cheaper. Even if they did still have to send printed books to the small percentage of people who still wanted them.
Is print media dead, or will it live on for decades to come? What do you think?
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Print is alive and kicking. It’s still unreasonable to assume that everyone has a computer and/or internet (for basic needs type content such as a phone book).
Also, there is a charm to print (for reading something like a novel) that reading off a screen can’t achieve. And I don’t think it’s just the glare a white screen gives off.
Where do you live? 
Almost everyone in New Zealand who has a telephone has a computer. There’s no reason why the couldn’t deliver only to those who need a print copy.
Check out the Kindle sometime. This device is an e-book reader which has a special screen which feels like paper to look at. The form factor is a little clunky, but that will change with time.
The only thing missing from the Kindle is the smell that you get from an old book. Maybe that is the one thing which will keep print copies around forever…
Lol.
Well it could become a system that only delivers books to those that need it, but that is more admin work than just giving one to everybody.
Without a print copy of the yellow pages I have nothing to sit my monitor on and yeah I love the smell of a book too!
read your first paragraph again – ’sounds look good sense’? doesn’t sound like any sort of sense to me and i only do it because i love you
Where is the error? It looks fine to me
( thanks for the tip )
The only use I can see for a printed book is when one cannot get access to the internet, or if the power goes out (watch the candle though! Don’t start a fire!)
Heh that reminds me, I bet few people have a traditional phone anymore. Those were great because they didn’t require electricity. Great for emergencies.
