not THE book, I mean the book as a technological device of paper print that fits into your hand - will it ever be replaced or obselete as a format?

I was having this discussion with a friend over lunch a couple of days ago and he seemed to think it would only be a matter of a couple of hundred years or so until there would be no books anymore. I tried to convince him that books were not like vinyl at the advent of CDs - they've been in constant use since time immemorial and are good wireless portable devices that need no recharging nor fall to bits after a year or two but he was having none of it

So, books.. when, if ever, will they be obselete and what will be the deciding factor? No more trees ? General telepathy?

whadyarekkin?