The big worry about this is the impact of digital restrictions management (DRM). We are heading to a world in which it is illegal to share a book with someone else; impossible to buy a book second-hand; in which people who let other people read their books are branded "pirates" and "thieves", and have their internet access cut off if they persist in the vile and anti-social practice of sharing their books with others.

Some books will only be capable of being read once, or for a limited period of time, before they are locked down and made unreadable by the DRM. Other books will be lost forever after the platform for which they were originally produced ceases to be manufactured.

John Halton, Orpington,

It seems that the article's author has never seen the scary new technology. Electro-phoretic displays are very akin to paperback books resolution,; these new devices can hold tens of books, and with a data card, hundreds. The images are like printed text, do not harm the eyes with backlight, and one or two (SONY & the Cybook) can easily fit into a man's suitcoat or a woman's purse.
Pardon the inflammatory prose, but maybe neo-luddites should examine something before they decry and smash it.

Cthulhu, Chicago,

Hmm... She doesn't seem to realise that most people don't use a blackberry. I don't even use one for work, let alone for downloading books. I grew up with books under my pillow at night (admittedly I still do this sometimes) and there's something nice about finishing a book and putting it back on your bookshelf in case you want to come back to it in a few years time or lend it to a friend.
Yes I downloaded reference material for writing essays whilst at university but I still prefer hard copies - a book is not going to crash on you and lose the material. Besides, reading from a computer can be a strain on the eyes, anyone who has to sit in an office in front of a computer all day can attest to the strain it has on the eyes and (sometimes) back. Reading is a leisurely, relaxing activity, and I very much doubt books will be replaced by e-books anytime soon.
I'm 24 and only know two people who occasionally read books they've downloaded - and even they still buy traditional books.

Louise, London,

We can all remember as a child, cuddling up in bed with a book when we were unwell, I still like nothing more on a cold wet night than lighting the fire and settling down with a good book.
Text and reference books will no doubt eventually just be published electronically as they will be more useful in a searchable and portable format. Paperbacks however I feel will always be around. They are an item to be enjoyed and their very construction allows them to be taken almost anywhere in the world.
The ebook industry will no doubt develop alongside more traditional formats but I suspect will only ever pose the same threat as lpg fuel has to the petrochemical industry.

Steve Grady, St Helens, UK

I can't see the end of books as we know them within my lifetime (I'm 24). Whilst reference and business books will almost certainly make the transition to digital form, the change for fiction books will take much longer.

I work in front of a computer on a daily basis, but reading large documents for any extended period of time on screen becomes uncomfortable. You eyes start to ache and headaches develop, so unless screen emissions become equivalent to light reflections from a book, I can't imagine book lovers switching to the ebook too quickly.

However, having a library in the palm of you hand is very appealing. Imagine how much space (and trees) you would save!

Robert Worsley, London,

Antonia Senior is a proponent of the new meritocracy, that she envisions herself a fully entitled member of. She and those like her show completel disdain for those she considers part of the lesser orders. She'd deprive them of education, access to read what they would choose and think nothing of it.

However, what she and those like her fail to recognize is that this regressive system they favor, like other sysems like it, is not in her benefit. It is a hungry beast, and requires constant feeding. The middle classes they look down upon will not be the last victims, and her lot will soon be served up à la carte.

That is the nature of regressivism, and unfortunately for the Ms. Seniors of the world, their self centered mindsets seldom stretch beyond the now. When their turn comes, there will be no one left to stand up for them.

Marie, Boston, MA, US

I read ebooks now, and many of them are free. If you like science fiction and fantasy, check out http://www.baen.com.

As far as a reader, my Nokia n810 far exceeds my expectations. It's the same size as an iPhone, but has a slide out keyboard. It's an "Internet Tablet" meant to be used with WiFi or paired with a Bluetooth phone. It's also a very functional tiny laptop running Linux. http://www.nokia.co.uk/link?cid=PLAIN_TEXT_607323

Alan Peery, London,

I have been reading about the death of the printed book for about twenty years. Yet book sales are higher than ever. Baen Books have been making the text of their fiction available online for some years, and have seen sales rise as a result. The dire predictions for the book trade are likely to continue for many decades, perhaps centuries.

Bernard Peek, London, UK

ebooks are not 'cheap to produce' if you look at the bigger picture. Companies need to reset their systems to handle digital product through inital production and beyond, monitoring royalties etc. Neilsen Bookscan currently doesn't take an ebook feed, retailers will need to redesign their websites to handle the product, and ongoing work into getting the best out of the format and upgrading it will need happen inside publishing companies, and with the companies producing devices. Authors still need to paid, copy still needs editing. The digital format is exactly that, a format choice, and I do not agree that ebooks need to be cheap just because a few people think that as physical print costs are not associated with the product, it should be cheaper.

Penny McCullough, London, UK

What I worry about is falling standards and the fate of traditional publishers. What's going to happen when anyone with an internet connection can produce eBooks? At least when you buy a paper or hardback you're assured that it has at least been vetted, and proof read etc.

With that system of traditional support gone, you're going to have the big publishers spending stupid amounts on advertising since the costs of producing the eBook are so low. It'll get to a stage where getting someone's attention is more important than actually keeping it.

If I was inclined to take the electronic route, I'd choose to have my eBook on PDF and I'd read it on my mobile (Nokia's Symbian Series 60 OS to be exact!). Most software on the computer is quite clunky, e.g. Adobe Digital Editions which I used when I bought (To Room Ninteen - eBooks.com) a book for some coursework.

It begs the question though, if eBooks are going to be so cheap to produce, shouldn't prices come down as well?

Richard Armstrong, Rothbury,

do u think a plastic book might be the next big development in books that will increased its usage? if they can make plastic to feel like paper it might. I will be sad if books disappear but like the article said, content wise it would be more convenient to read it in a e-book and have easy access to a library of books.

anthony wong, london, uk