Posts Tagged electronic book reader
Why Everyone Needs A Handheld Ebook Reader
Posted by 0845 Telephone Numbers in General on December 24th, 2009
Anybody who loves books should have a handheld eBook reader. Books are heavy, something everyone has learned if they have ever moved. A small box of books can weigh more than larger boxes. Readers have had to deal with this problem for a long time. Now, they have the chance to carry their whole library in a half-pound device.
The arrival of ebooks is changing the world of words. Ebooks do not need paper, perhaps their most significant attribute. People in recent years have been concerned about preserving Earth’s natural resources. With ebooks, trees can sigh in relief. There are numerous benefits for our environment if we stop using so much paper.
There are currently three heavyweight options in the public market. All three companies have been revolutionizing the book industry while pleasing customers. The market is new, but the harsh competition has been good news to those who want quality products.
One of the greatest breakthroughs is that of e-ink displays. These amazing displays simulate the look of ink on paper. There is no back-light, like what is used for portable phones. This means that a reader will need a lamp or other source of light, just like with a real book.
Since e-ink is so comfortable for your eyes, ebooks have become easy to read. E-ink is just like real paper, but has big advantages. For example, text size can be adjusted on e-ink displays. A reader can decide if they would like smaller text or larger text, and can change it whenever they prefer.
The current market champion is Amazon’s Kindle reading device. The Kindle is available with two screen sizes. The Kindle uses a free wireless connection to connect to the Amazon store, and new books can be downloaded in seconds.
The Sony Reader is one of the Amazon’s Kindle biggest competitors. The Kindle costs more than the Reader, giving the Reader a small advantage. On the other hand, Sony does not have as many books available for its device as Amazon does.
Recently, Barnes and Noble released their new ebook reader, the Nook. Tech and book enthusiasts think the Nook could become more popular than the Kindle. One of the reasons for the Nook’s popularity is the massive book selection. However, the biggest appeal of the Nook is probably its color touch screen. The Nook is a very attractive and very sensible purchase for people who love books.
People who love to read have cause to be happy. Gone are the days of carrying heavy books from house to house. A handheld ebook reader can keep thousands of books in a small, easy to carry device.
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Will Amazon Adopt The ePub Format In Future?
Posted by 0845 Telephone Numbers in General on September 23rd, 2009
After an extended period of domination by Amazon, it seems that the e-book marketplace is about to see genuine competition at last. We may even see even the replacement of the Amazon Kindle reader as the market leader.
In terms of the e-book reader devices themselves, a number of manufacturers are preparing to launch new hardware – some before the end of the year, some early in 2010. Sony have recently announced the launch of three new readers. Probably the most significant of these is the Sony Daily Edition reader, which will launch in December 2009, has touch screen functionality, wireless 3g connectivity and will allow users to download e-books “on loan” from their local lending library.
Other manufacturers, including Plastic Logic and Apple, will have new readers on offer in the near future.
However, as important as the technical specification of the various reader devices is likely to be, it may not be the deciding factor. Currently, the ability to select an e-book from Amazon’s vast library of titles (in excess of 300,000 and growing daily) is a big selling point for them. There are more than 300,000 e-books for the Kindle available on Amazon’s website. The drawback is that you need to purchase all your e-books from Amazon. Further, if you subsequently decide to change your reader to a different type, then you are currently unable to take your e-books with you. This might be available in future perhaps, but just at the moment it’s very much a case of Kindle reader, Kindle books. Put it another way – it’s a closed system.
Other manufacturers seem to be moving towards a common e-book format – called ePub, which is different to that used by Amazon. This would give users the ability to freely transfer e-books between different readers. It would also let them buy and download books from a wide selection of different retailers. It would give them more freedom to choose.
If this move goes ahead, and it seems likely that it will, then it’s not out of the question that what is currently a feather in Amazon’s cap, their huge collection of Kindle books, may become a liability. Of course, it would not be possible for Amazon to make their Kindle titles compatible with whatever format is eventually selected by the industry, either by means of a translation facility or simply by adopting whatever standard is defined.
Whether or not Amazon are able to retain their current dominant position, it looks very much as if the e-book market is going to have some strong competition in future and that industry standards will be put in place sooner rather than later. All of this is good news for consumers.