I tend to think the catchment for hardcover/paperback readers is still alive. The “e-” substance lies not so much in the ease to publish, but in the enabling ease to access reading content. That is, for e.g, the ease to access a paperback book that is out of print because an online retailer can source it from an obscure wholesaler and does not need to have shelf space for it.

The essence of “Long Tail” ( a term popularised by Chris Anderson in his book/blog here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.10/tail.html ) book sales is a direct result of the existence of a large catchment of paperback readers.

But this is an interesting article, it brings forth something to watch over the next 2 years.