by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: August 18, 2009

Computers have changed the face of the world. We can do everything on them from listening to music to watching television. We can work from our computers and make contacts around the world at minimal costs. Reading has even become a big deal on the internet. E-books are now available all over the web. Our computers give us the availability to download the books we want to read right from our computers. Will the internet replace books in the future?

Many years have passed since the computers have come into our lives. It is an ever-changing venue that constantly creates new ways for us to depend on them. Many people have turned to their computers for nearly everything. Book publishing is no exception. The truth is, the computer could easily replace the traditional book. There are several reasons for that. Here is a look at some of those reasons:

It's green- No trees have to be cut down to print an E-book. It is all done electronically and through devices that most people own. Saving thousands of trees is a great thing. We should also bear in mind that even though it does save trees, it doesn't save our landfills. The electronics have to be purchased. For instance, purchasing a Kindle to read electronic books is a great idea if you want to save trees, but they will end up in the landfill. Electronics don't break down as easily as paper books which means they may be in the landfill forever. It's a trade off and not necessarily a good one.

Possible lower cost- If people begin to switch from paper printed books to electronic ones, the cost of electronic books could be significantly lower than traditional printing. That is because far less people have to be involved in the process. Once it is published electronically, there is no printing to do. Therefore the people that currently work in the printing business won't be included in the cost of the book. This has a downside as well. This could put thousands of people out of work. That is the last thing this world needs. The upside is that traditionally printed books of every kind would be worth it's weight in gold. That is because they become dinosaurs and dinosaurs that live can be very valuable.

It is unlikely that computers will take over the book industry anytime in the near future. Many people like to get away from the computer for a while and curl up to a nice book. Electronic books don't offer the same comfort as a traditional book. It is also important to remember that some people have a much harder time reading electronic items over traditional paper items. Spending too much time looking at your computer can cause eye problems. Reading books from it could do even greater harm. It is possible that electronic books will take over some day. In fact, it is probably inevitable. I am not sure that it will happen in my lifetime though.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Hawkins.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.