eBook Readers

What is an eBook Reader?

The term “eBook reader” sometimes refers to a software program – such as Microsoft Reader, or Adobe Reader – that allows you to read an electronic book, or eBook – “What is an eBook?“ – in the same way that you read a conventional, printed book. More often than not, however, the term is reserved for hardware, in the form of portable electronic devices – laptop, or tablet-style, computers, PDAs (“Personal Digital Assistants”) and dedicated eBook readers – that are employed for the same purpose. A dedicated eBook reader, for example, can allow the text of a book to be downloaded from the Internet, or elsewhere, in digital form, and presented to the reader in high resolution, and high contrast, akin to that of the printed page.

Advances in screen technology mean that eBook readers, today, no longer require optimal lighting conditions, and can be viewed for long periods without inducing eye strain. Furthermore, the digital nature of an eBook reader means that additional features such as dictionaries, cross-references and URL (“Universal Resource Locator”) links to relevant Internet content can also be included to enhance the reading experience.

eBook Readers Now & in the Future

Theoretically, the idea behind eBooks is an attractive one, and it has been predicted for some time now that the printed book is about to be superseded by the eBook, and the eBook reader. However, despite an estimated 65% of new books being available in eBook form, the market for eBooks and eBook readers remains a fraction of the size of that for the conventional equivalent.

Books, of course, have been written, or printed, on paper for 5,000 years, or more, and printed books are inexpensive, versatile and relatively durable. It has therefore taken time to convince readers that they are, at least, as comfortable reading from a powered, electronic device – albeit a compact, lightweight, and highly functional device – as they are from a familiar paperback, or hardback, book.

However, the emergence of a new technology, known as eInk®, has provided the basis for new generation of eBook readers and rekindled enthusiasm in eBook technology as a whole. eInk® was developed by the eInk Corporation in the United States, and attempts to mimic the physical behaviour of paper, using microscopic black-and-white beads suspended in a clear liquid. By reversing the polarity of the circuitry of an eBook reader, black, or white, beads can be made visible, effectively resulting in a four-colour greyscale. This produces a bright, clear display – significantly easier to read than, say, a small, backlit LCD (“Liquid Crystal Display”) – with a wide viewing angle, and on a par with printed books.

Furthermore, the absence of a backlit means that power is only consumed when the display is updated – that is, when a page is turned – rather than continually. eInk® technology is incorporated into eBook readers such as the Sony Reader PRS-505 – the subject of very good reviews in the United States, where it has been available since 2006 – the Amazon Kindle, and the iRex iLiad, amongst others.

eBook Reader Pros & Cons

eBooks and eBook readers offer enormous potential benefits to book publishers, retailers, authors and readers alike. Publishers can save the costs of printing, binding, distribution, etc., and there is substantially less risk involved in publishing an eBook rather than a conventional, printed book. eBooks can be stored, digitally, on a file server, and have no physical manifestation, per se, such that no warehousing facilities are required, and books can remain “in print” indefinitely. Authors can also self-publish, making their work available for download, for a nominal fee, by way of gaining exposure. Readers, of course, have almost immediate access to hundreds of eBook titles, which, nevertheless, occupy minimal space when compared to the printed equivalent, and are not subject to loss, damage or deterioration over time. The ability to jump back and forth in the text of an eBook and to adjust the font size to the visual ability of the reader are other potential benefits of an eBook reader.

This is, of course, dependent on being able to read the screen, clearly, in shade or bright sunlight, and without any undue straining of the eyes. Inferior screen technology can make an eBook reader less appealing, as can a battery life that does allow reading for long periods; mains electricity is an alternative but, obviously, limits the portability of an eBook reader. It can also be argued that certain elements of eBook technology – plastics, batteries, etc. – are not biodegradable, raising environmental issues when compared with sustainable, biodegradable paper products. However, the fact that eBooks are not printed, at all, does more than compensate for this.

See more information on eBook Readers – Sony eBook Reader PRS-505 Review.

Best Prices – Sony eBook Reader PRS-505

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