For now, the decision to offer electronically published books remains with their publishers. Ten days later, Amazon announced that it would team up with Microsoft to create an online store for electronic books. And the signs of a sea change in progress just keep coming. This would be wonderful for world travelers with an unlimited supply of batteries. But it is also a boon for students, who will soon be able to buy and carry the equivalent of a wheelbarrowful of traditional books with little trouble.
Space is surely one reason for the widespread use of CD-ROM and electronic reference books.
Updating is another. A traditional book may be a year out of date the day it appears on bookstore shelves. Electronic reference books, however, can be updated continuously. In a world of exponentially growing information and ever-faster change, nonfiction materials cannot be too up to date. The electronic book display options are also advantages.