What is the future of paper magazines?
I think the best comparison for the whole idea of eReaders eliminating the print industry is what MP3 players did to CDs. MP3 players had a huge impact on the sale of CDs and I think that eReaders and tablets will have have some of the same impact. Here is the HUGE difference I see – music is a very pre-meditated purchase (and especially was before digital music). People listened to the radio and would go out and buy a record in a store some time in the future. MP3 players streamlined the process and made it easier to get new music (even allowing the purchase of individual songs). There is a portion of magazine and newspaper sales that are pre-determined (subscription-based), but there is a very large “spot” purchase market for newspapers or magazines (airports, train stations, coffee shops, etc.). Even though this market will decline a little, I don’t see it completely going away. The one caveat that might change this further is if publishers use the lower cost delivery of electronic
