Traditional Media

• An iPad can travel as easily as a newspaper and hold more data.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  The term "traditional media" includes more than just books. It can also refer to printed media in the form of newspapers and magazines. E-books are not only an alternative to printed media. Even if you are not a voracious reader, the portability of e-books, combined with the variety now available on the market, can sway you from alternative forms of traditional entertainment. Libraries, traditional bookstores and the publishing industry are all being effected by the changes that digital books are bringing.
  
  

Libraries

• E-books are changing the way you use your local library.Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images
  
  Traditional libraries are also starting to see some interesting changes as e-books and digital reading go mainstream. Recently Kindle, one of the leading digital reading devices, made it possible for users to borrow library books. Kindle owners will need a special application on their digital readers in order to do this, and the option is limited to libraries that carry digital books and to users in the United States and parts of Europe, but this is certainly a taste of things to come.
  
  

Readers and Consumers

• Portability, price and variety are the ways to successfully woo your consumer base, no matter what your product. In the case of e-books, the latest marketing innovations have tempted many consumers away from the traditional media they usually enjoy. In February 2011, thanks in no small part to the surge in popularity of e-book devices, more readers were investing in e-books than printed paperbacks. In June 2010, Amazon.com reported that they had sold more e-books than hardcover books. As of August 6th, 2010, Apple had sold 3 million iPads, and the numbers keep growing. The convenience and capacity of e-books, coupled with their relatively low overhead compared to traditional print media, has made them the preferred choice for American readers.
  
  

Writers and Publishers

• The lower prices of e-books compared to their traditional print competition is certainly a boon for consumers, but the effect on writers and publishers might not be the same. Writers might balk at the idea of lower royalties. Publishers and retailers make less of a profit on more economical e-books. However, there is an upside, as publishers and producers also save considerable money on design, printing, storage and shipping when it comes to e-books. The typical writer, retailer and publisher will also need to adapt to digital media.