Answer:
A tremendous impact. For the first time, ideas could be widely disseminated over great distances through printed books. For the first time, many basic texts, from the Bible to the great philosophers and scientists, could be owned by the average person who could save a few dollars to buy a printed copy of it. Prior to Gutenberg, the only books were hand written. Once set to type, hundreds of copies of any book could be produced in a matter of hours. It was a truly revolutionary development.