Encyclopedia Britannica ends print, goes digital

[Charles Wiggins]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/14/net-us-encyclopediabritannica-idUSBRE82C1FS20120314

[Chuck Wintle]

they must have been the last to offer a print version....a sign of the times as more and more turn to the internet for information. On the plus side fewer trees are felled to make paper which could mean more wood for woodworkers.

[John Pratt]

I can remember not long ago that a salesman was at my door trying to get me to buy a full set. He made the case that my kids could use them as they grow up. He did not seem to understand the concept of them being outdated before they got a chance to really use them and that at an early age they could already find all the information they wanted from the internet. It was only a matter of time before this happened and I am a little surprised it took this long.

[Ron Natalie]

I bought a complete set and the great books around 1987. I finally pitched the set (put on on craigslist, it was gone within hours) last year or so.

Not sure I'd buy their online version. I do have the online OED subscription and use it a lot.
I also bought a SAFARIBOOKS subscription because I find tons of obsolete technical books I've bought over the year and this lets me kind of get hte "all you can eat" and instant access that you need with those sorts of pubs.

[Brian Elfert]

I can't believe they continued the print edition this long. I assumed print encyclopedias were already dead. My parents have an old set of encyclopedias at home they got when I was a kid in the early 80s. They got them for free or paid very little for them. They are more like history books now as they are so outdated.

Apparently Britannica still employs a lot of people so they have must people paying for their services. It is hardly surprising nobody was buying print encyclopedias when they charged $1395 for a set.