Re: [Leica] paperless photography

[Afterswift@aol.com]

Copyrighted DVD's however cannot be duplicated, or so I understand. Before
you answer "So I'll get another one" check out how rapidly most photo books
go out of
print.

Then again, how long do books last? I have, and have seen, books from the
50's and earlier which are significantly yellowed. Oh well, live for today.
- --
Nick Hunter
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick,

I'm assuming that sometime before the turn of this century digital will level
off and become a stable technology, as the electrical and automotive
industries did. There's no doubt in my mind that OS's will converge or
disappear with JAVA, and improvements will be marginal, not revolutionary.
The distinctions between an Apple and a Windows computer will disappear.
Software will become universal and any application will open a document in
any other.  

The one great advantage of digital is its economy of scale. Prices are
constantly either coming down or buying much more power and capacity. All
these factors will favor an electronic publishing industry that will expand
beyond the computer. Very cheap devices will play DVD's and bookstores will
stock them as tho they were books. Most of the paperbacks I bought at school
are no longer readable. So they're republished. There won't be a distinction
in DVD between paper and hardbacks. 

Already Encyclopedia Brittania has ditched its paper edition. I believe it's
only available now in CD. Most of the references works will be in DVD. I got
rid of my 24 volume encyclopedia for Microsoft's Encarta. I use other
references from AOL. So an entire segment of the publishing industry is no
longer paper. The other shoe will fall in the publication of photographic
books. That, IMHO, is inevitable. 

While on the subject, there is a difference between mass publishing a bona
fide photograph and originating it -- creating it. I don't think digital will
replace film for that reason.

Bob