180: Will the transition from print to digital be complete or partial?

We can predict the path of the print to digital transition by comparing it to past transitionsShow more

The whole "print is dead" mantra is misguided. At the bottom of this article I’ll link to something I wrote about that.

We are clearly experiencing a transition from print to digital. The question is whether it will be a complete or a partial transition. Let's look at some examples and see what they tell us.

Complete or "mostly complete" transitions

* From horses to cars.
* From whale oil lamps to electric lights.
* From telegraph to telephone.
* From vinyl records to streaming and digital music.
* From letters in the mail to email and instant messaging.
* From film photography to digital photography.
* From manual typewriters to computers and word processors.

Partial transitions

* From AM radio to FM radio.
* From physical stores to online shopping.
* From traditional theaters to home streaming.
* From in-person concerts to music videos.
* From shoe laces to velcro, or buttons to snaps.
* From analog clocks or displays to digital clocks and displays.
* From cash to digital payments.

It looks to me as if a few things distinguish these two lists.

When the new tech is miles ahead of the old tech – like getting around town in a car vs. a horse, or lighting an oil lamp vs. flipping a switch – we get a complete or mostly complete transition.

When the new tech is better in some ways, but isn't a complete or exact replacement for the old tech, we get partial transitions.

For example, online shopping is fantastic, but some people enjoy being in the store, seeing the actual item, or even picking it up and feeling it. The new technology can't completely replace the old technology.

Think of analog vs. digital watches. 2:45 on a digital watch requires just a touch more thinking than looking at an analog watch. In some ways, the analog watch presents the data in a more understandable and intuitive way.

As a side note, I much prefer analog watches, but I wear a digital watch because it's easier to time my laps when I go swimming.

What does that tell us about the print to digital transition?

Well ... is the digital magazine miles ahead of the print magazine? Clearly not. The digital version has some advantages, but print has some advantages, some of which Bo discusses in his short article.

So unless somebody invents a digital magazine that's miles ahead of print, and replaces almost all of its advantages, I predict that print will continue to have a place in the publishing and reading landscape.

Links

BoSacks speaks out: Printed magazines are falsely maligned as relics of the past
https://www.bosacks.com/bosacks-speaks-out/bosacks-speaks-out-printed-magazines-are-often-falsely-maligned-as-relics-of-the-past

I'm announcing the death of "the death of print"
https://krehbielgroup.com/2023/10/21/im-announcing-the-death-of-the-death-of-print/

You don’t have to be a Luddite to see the value of print
https://krehbielgroup.com/2023/10/11/you-dont-have-to-be-a-luddite-to-see-the-value-in-print/