The first eReader,known as the Softbook was release in 1998. Few people were interested in it because it was expensive. Later, in 2,000 when Stephan King's book, Ride the Bullet, was released exclusivly in eBook form but only for a little while. Many people warmed up to the eReader. As more people became interested in this new device more companies adapted and made their own verstion of the eReader. Some of these companies included Barnes and Noble, Sony, Amazon. Shortly, in 2009 Amazon was offering the Kindle to 100 different countries.
As eReaders became more popular so did eBooks. Hardcopy book sales decreased as ebooks increased. This caused competition and for example Borders going out of the market.
Smart phones also helped eBooks grow. It became so easy to hit the purchase button and start reading the book right then and there rather than doing things the "old fastioned way"-my particular favorite.
In 2010 eBooks surpassed Hardcopies. For every 100 books that were purchased, 180 eBooks were sold. Throughout that year eBooks sold 3x more books than hardcopies did. In 2011 hardcovers in each quarter of the year made around $123.3 million and ebooks sold were almost double that at $233.1 million.
These number have picked up speed. over the years. As time went on eReader prices became more affordable allowing many other people to purchase one. Then the eBook sales increased yet again.
Many people wonder where this is going to leave the books. The physical ones.
I believe one day, we wont be able to go to a bookstore and pick out a book. Or log onto amazon to buy a book, then impatiently wait for it to come, checking our mailbox everyday, excited to tear open the box or pull off the tab. I think that one day we will only have eBooks. Probably not in my lifetime, but one day because as technology improves, everything else does with it.
If we only buy eBooks, places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chapters would no longer supply the world with physical books. If that happened, those of us who prefer hardcopies wouldn't able to find them for a decent price because those prices would skyrocket. Eventually, our used bookstores will run dry and go out of business. Would our librarys stay open? This is a great question. Would people still be interested in them when they could get the book they need in their hands in under a minute. Or would we have eLibraries? Most libraries already have this kind of system, but mostly have hardcopies. Can you imagine not having those excited days once a week of going to the library and feeling like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, having a relationship with the staff and browsing for hours. Everything would change.
I truly dread this day and hope it doesn't come in my life time. I hope for future generation too. Because can you imagine handing a child a book, having them looking up to you saying, "What is this Grandma?"
