Quote of the Day, Dec 3, 2008

Steve Rubel’s interesting prediction stands in stark contrast to a previous Quote of the Day from James Gleick. Gleick believes that books in particular have stood the test of time and will meet the challenge of digital media. So will books and “tangible media” go extinct, as Rubel predicts? Or will there always be “relevance and value” for such channels, as opined by Gleick? I expect that, as always with such things, the reality will end up somewhere in between. Yes, digital media will come to dominate, but there will still be strong demand for tangible media. There’s something special about holding an object in your hand, whether it’s a book or nicely designed magazine. And there’s the darker side too—the desire to possess and own. It’s harder to fulfill that desire with digital media.

“I want to make a bet with you. I wager that by January 2014 almost all forms of tangible media will be either in sharp decline or completely extinct in the U.S. I am talking about not just print but all tangible forms of media — newspapers, magazines, books, DVDs, boxed software and video games.”

— Steve Rubel

Five Years From Now, Media Will Be Totally Intangible