In round #856 of the Print vs. Web saga, Newsweek has come up with the above infographic/artifact. At least they didn’t call it “Old Books Vs. New Books.”
While Nicholas Negroponte earlier this month claimed that the physical book would be dead in five years, the more generous folks at Newsweek still think that the book has some fight left.
Putting forth such vague statements such as “quality hardcover books (in direct light) are still easiest on the eye,” and the frightening because it’s true “$249.2 million vs. $29.3 million in publishers sales totals,” the infographic seems really unsure about the future.
Let me help you out here Newsweek. No matter what the numbers say right now, in 2010, I can pretty much guarantee that in 2020 the advantage will lean heavy towards the E-book side of the graph.
Well maybe not the Jane Austen part.
Image: Newsweek