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Can we get rid of hard cover books yet?

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Not at all.

Online DRMed or "streamed" books can be modified or deleted.

Its kinda hard (aka impossible) to edit or delete a hardbound book on my bookshelf remotely.

Plus old books have the best aroma and page coloring

Not if we want them to survive in a decent condition for more than a couple of decades, no.

Many new trade hardcover books will not last that long. I work at a university press, and we still use acid-free paper, quarter-cloth bindings, sturdy boards, and other niceties that the big trade houses are increasingly giving up on. Guess what? Most of our books cost more than $30, or even $40.

Does your university press still sew signatures?

A lot of print-on-demand "hardcovers" are just perfect-bound text blocks glued into a hard cover. So disappointing.

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