Deryk Barker wrote in response to my posting:

>Firstly, I rather imagine that the original text will be in electonric
>form - I can't imagine something that size today being produced in any
>other way.
>
>Secondly: make the CD-ROM cheap and who will buy the book? So how do you
>amortise the cost of all that work?
>
>Still, be grateful you're not looking to buy the Grove Dictionary of Art.
>I recently had a special, 50% offer and it was still $6,600 (Cdn).

Certainly the set was produced using computers and I wasn't really thinking
about that specific of it when I mentioned the scanners.  What I was really
saying is that it should not be a challenge to produce a consumer version
on CD-ROM.  The costs to do so should be quite cheap in comparison with the
printed set.

In response to your second part, the Cd-ROM could be marketed with a
price reflecting the sufficiently reduced cost to the production staff.
If the company can make a large profit selling the CD-ROM set for 200
dollars or for 150 there shouldn't be a problem.  I think many people
WOULD still purchase the book for the simple reason that many people
cannot stand to read from their monitor.  In my experience, most everyone
I have talked with about CD-ROM encyclopedias and similar products said
they go for the paper edition more often than not because it strains their
eyes to read from the monitor and ultimately gives them a headache and
makes it difficult for them to concentrate.  Most of the time they use the
multimedia enhancements of the computer version to hear sound samples and
other features offered only on CD-ROM.  I think people would still buy the
paper edition more often though but it's nice to have options in my
opinion.

If I were looking to buy the Grove Dictionary of Art I would be out of
luck.  Buying a car is making my life difficult right now.  Personally,
I would rather have the New Groves than a new Ford.

Wes Crone (Just had my 23rd birthday and will be accepting 7-figure gift
certificates via email)