Although most writing today is done digitally, when in comes to reading and longer material such as books, I think most people still prefer to hold the actual novel in their hands. One of the biggest problems may be the difficulty of reading for long periods of time on a computer screen. Reading news on the internet has become a great method for getting information - but I suppose most articles are only skimmed through - where as books require a greater length of time and concentration. And of course one must consider mobility - most people still can not afford laptops, and even for those who do, stuffing a little book in the bag is so much easier than lugging around a lap top.

I see the Birkerts-bot is alive and well.