Faculty Instructional Technologist

E-Books

6. What are E-Books?

Electronic books that typically consist of text, images, and words that are produced, published, and readable on computers or any type of mobile electronic devices (as long as the format is supported).

File Format

Adobe Reader (PDF)
Kindle – MobiPocket
EPub – Textbooks

For a comparison of E-Books format chart, go to MobileRead Wiki and NJIT

Advantages

Device Portability – hold many books
File Portability – transferable from one device to another
Instant Gratification
Book Price
Easy Reformatting
Search Capability
Bookmarking/Annotation
Space Saving
Back-up Capability
Convenience

Disadvantages

Requires Special Equipment – for charging, lighting etc.
Eye Strain
Format Lock-In – depending on devices
Device Expense – cost of the devices
E-Books Cannot be Resold
Region Restrictions
E-Book Formats May Change – think about the inception of VHS and DVD and streaming
Does not Smell Like a Book
Tactile, lending, and library loss
Copyright issues (DRM and DMCA)

How to Buy an E-book Reader?

Things to consider:

Screen Type and How Big? E-Ink Black & White – black & white, resemble books, does not have night-light, slow refresher on pages. LCD Media Tablets, and Full Size Color Tablets – reflection, glare, tiring eyes
Reader vs. Tablet?
How large of a screen and weight? Case & screen cover, adjustable text although PDF files might look cramped
Lightest e-book readers: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nooks, and Amazon Kindle Touch
Mid-size tablets: Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Nook Color
Large screen tablets: Apple iPad2 and 3, and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Wireless Connection? 3G or 4G? Nook comes with memory slots although storage is no longer a concern. If you are a frequent traveler (pay more either under contract or monthly), however, Wi-Fi Hotspots are almost everywhere now
The Books – there is no single universal format (e.g. Kindle does not supper EPub format which is what most textbooks and public libraries use for lending books). Likewise, ESC library is not compatible with Kindles. Plus, pricing for E-books varies as well.
E-Books Apps – compatibility
Best cross-platform providers: Kindle & Nook
Most versatile: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android phones and tablets
How much do you want to spend?

For more information, read: Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-Book Reader Should You Buy?