Why a Tablet Will Never Replace Paper

• The Best Tablet is an: iPad (sorry Android users)
• The Best Paper Notebook: Rhodia
• Why Rhodia?  The paper is silky smooth, high quality stock, great for reading and writing in every capacity.
• Why iPad? All around the best tablet with the best overall experience.

So I’ve been going over a few concepts and thoughts about paper vs digital reading. The consensus seems to be that while one isn’t necessarily inferior to the other – that lengthier pieces of reading are probably better done via paper due to the tactile nature.

However, it stands to reason that tactile feel and the personal feel of digital interaction are only going to improve with time. 3D Touch (a new Apple technology), better engineered screens, better engineered software, better graphics, better gesture and touch concepts will all lend itself to creating a more intimate piece of technology. Our phones are already an extension of our person, and in time they will be even more personal to us. In addition, with new ways of interacting with devices, will come newer ways to learn – ones that may be more effective than just “reading”. Which leads me to my next point.

Which is a more effective learning tool? Listening or tactile reading? Before written alphabets, before paper, before writing tools, all of our stories, our history, and learning was done via listening and execution. Isn’t it why Radio, or more modernly, Podcasts, seems to be such an effective medium for both education and entertainment? When studying something in depth, tactile reading does seem to be a very effective system, as you can re-read and fine tune your attention on a subject. But it’s why so many people like to learn in a forum setting or in a class room – because learning when someone else speaks and then the ability of execution seems to be an incredibly effective form of learning (or entertainment). Is listening to someone in person vs on the Radio a more effective way to listen? Are simply all digital forms of media when you’re not physically interacting with the object or person inferior? I’m not sure – I haven’t researched it yet.

But to go back to the original thought, of improved technology opening a vast amount of doors for increased education and entertainment; it will truly offer new and innovative techniques that could frankly surpass that of analogous media. When that time comes, does that mean that paper will be obsolete and or pointless? My guess is not, for a couple of (seemingly) trivial (or basic) reasons.

1: No matter how cheap technology becomes, you’ll never be able to throw away iPads like you do sticky notes.
2: iPads run out of battery, sticky notes don’t.
3: Ink and paper are more reliable.
4: In the event of a Fallout, we may not have technology to fall back on (the more complicated technology becomes, the more proprietary, the harder it becomes to fix). Sourcing writing tools can come from natural items in nature – so long as we have an alphabet, we’ll have the ability to chisel it onto stone.