1. This is a book about a specific version of a software which means it will be outdated. Therefor, trees are dead for nothing. Just ecologic waste. I never buy any books about IT anymore. I buy ebooks or services like safari bookshelf.
2. This is the era of tablets and digitals. Only publishing a book in paper is just sending the wrong signal to your customers. You look like old school thinker / grumpy grandpa "life was better before". Not very good when you want to sell software and get trust about the future.
3. Whether you like it or not, even in physical format only, soon or late, somebody will scan it and create a PDF for free. There are even services to do it for you now. So better sell the ebooks yourself and grab some money. Let ppl supports you.
4. This book is huge and we are in a global world now. I am currently living outside my country since years. All my books are now 100% digital which allows me to move anywhere without double thinking about buying a book. Right now, I would clearly not purchase a paper book of this size knowing I would have to handle it when I move back. Too heavy.
Not providing the ebooks won't change it will be available as a free leak-link. Putting your head in the sand do not change reality.
Worst, not being able to get this book easily just strengthen their competitors: most sketch users are impressed when I show them the marketing about AD. Now try to do what they show with available resources outside the book. Mostly impossible or you will have to waste hours to learn bit by bit here and there on forums / links / articles. So they stick to what they know: Sketch. Sales lost.
Actually, The WorkBook should be their weapon to get more market share, instead they have locked themselves into a niche. Affinity is a challenger here, it's not the guy already in place. I think they should increase the price of AD by $10 ou $20 and include the ebook with it. That way, the mass effect that every licence sold is purchasing the book will covers the difference in price and you have more chance to convert ppl to your product. Affininty would still be cheaper than their competitor but would give you the knowledge to outperform others from day 1.
Heck, they could even get outside the Mac App Store and get 30% of their money back to fund the book.
