New ways of preparing and publishing critical editions

I have read and am reading a few interesting books on critical thinking and critical editions in the digital environment. The critical editions can be more than texts, but can include artwork and music. What advantages do we have in moving from a primarily print environment to a primarily digital environment? In fact, does “primarily” even need to enter into the question? Perhaps the question is how do we take advantage of the best of print and digital in creating the critical edition of the future? I’d like to be able to think about not only the technological aspects of preparing an edition, but also think about how the person coming to that edition will read and think about it, how the edition and its various aspects will help those absorbing this new work make connections with what they already know and from there, spin their thoughts in new directions; how it will allow the calculations of “distant reading” and also the focus and consideration of “close reading.”