And words chiselled into stone is even more durable but how many people carry them around on a daily basis? In fact, it’s been noted that the progress of technology has been steadily towards more ephemeral forms. Stone tablets -> clay tablets -> papayrus -> vellum -> acid-free paper -> acidic paper -> voilatile computer storage.
Well, that’s just from lack of trying. You could, if you wanted, find a 5.25" drive in a used computer store/flea market/salvation army shop and install it on a modern personal computer. I haven’t met an IBM-compatable yet that lacked the option.
But the information is likely demagnetized beyond recognition by now. Still, with a minimal financial investment and a half-hour’s work, you could salvage what’s left and transfer it to more modern media.
Does anyone on this board routinely print all documents on their computer and store them in a “safe” place so that the information will always be accessible in printed format? Anybody buying digital cameras? Won’t the storage technology change?
People buy and continue to use new technology (even though often it is more expensive than “traditional” methods) when it offers more usefulness and greater convenience. There’s always a downside. Do the benefits outweigh it?
The ultimate fate of paper-based books will depend on how many people will continue to pay for them over e-based books because of their usability today, not because of long-term issues of storage and access.