Originally Posted by
BlackPeter
OK - I guess the transformation from horse carts to combustion engines was probably a bit before any of our times, so lets pick something closer in time to explain.
When I was young you could buy a reasonable SLR (film-) camera for the equivalent of something like $1500 to $2000. Obviously - top models have been more expensive. This was still true when (around 2000) the first reasonable quality digital SLR cameras came out.
When our children grew up (say something like 35 years ago) a reasonable quality Super 8 camera with sound was something like $2000 give or take. 20 years ago I bought a reasonable quality digital film camera (using tapes) for a similar price.
I remember all of my life lots of shops specializing in buying and selling used cameras.
Today my cell phone (an order of magnitude cheaper than the good SLR and early digital camera from 20 years ago) can do more than above cameras as well as above SLR. I know, it is tough - maybe the SLR would be with film better in landscape photography, but for other use - my cellphone is much better (looking at sensitivity, quality of picture and of course practicality. Price of a photo? 40 years ago $1 per photo, today - nothing. I better don't tell you what I used to pay for a minute of Super 8 film.
I remember that the price of a good camera (when looked after) hardly deteriorated over the years. I remember as well that I bought our kids around 2000 good quality film cameras, given that the digital ones (at similar price) just didn't cut it at that time. Two years later the digital cameras could match the quality of the analogue cameras and 4 years later the film cameras had lost all of their value - nobody used anymore a camera which made so expensive photos.
May I mention it - my cellphone, while 2 years ago top of the range is now (still new available) in the shop for something like $500.
I can't remember a lot of shops these days trading in used cell phones, people just buy them and throw them after 2 to 4 years away.
Now - this was a technical step change from roughly 1995 to 2005. In the beginning all experts could tell you that digital photography will never cut it. Ask them today. And yes, this was similar like the move from horse cart to car with combustion engine, from letter to email or from old Xerox machine to any new cheap scanner / ink printer. Lots of specialized business had their problems in any of these step changes ... but no doubt, this time it will be different :):
Personally - I expect the move from combustion engine to EV to be similar - and, not too far away.
Anyway, just my thoughts ...