Tapioca publishing becomes a footnote to history. In the meantime, the consultants, researchers, publishers, show promoters and investment advisors have made a fortune. They were right, tapioca publishing was a billion dollar market. Computer to plate eliminates film because film is bad. Film makers eliminate silver and chemistry and film is good again.
Laser printers eliminate film and plates.
Digital color printers eliminate film, plates and printing presses. Electronic publishing eliminates film, plates, printers, presses and paper. Markets without consumables are not often very large markets. It may be that personal computers, their software and most peripherals are the new consumables. The health of the printing industry really depends on the value of the yen, the mark, the shekl, the Belgian Franc and Alan Greenspan's sex life.