What favors adoption of digital content?
I was thinking about the fact that Amazon is now selling more eBooks than hardcovers and what actually started this massive shift towards digital books. In fact, it kind of reminds me the growth of digital music sales a couple of years ago when a certain company called Apple launched their online music store.
A couple of years ago, most people said digital books would never replace real books. We all agree it’s a different game today, so what exactly drives adoption?
Is it the technology itself that people love so much (digital books, mp3) or simply the convenience of being able to carry your entire library, whether it’s books or music, with you all the time (and synced on all your mobile devices)? Or could it be the content delivery networks in place which allow you to buy the content you want and get it instantaneously, whether it’s 3 PM or 3 AM?
The thing is, the technology itself has little significance in adoption rates. We don’t buy eBooks because it’s better to read on a screen (the fact is most people prefer paper), we buy them because their format and instant delivery are convenient. The same goes with music.
Convenience drives adoption.
