Understanding
E-books
by Rebecca Hubbard
Pros and
Cons of E-Books.
An e-book
is a digital or electronic copy
of a book. Just like e-mail is digital
mail.
With the
advancement of technology an entire
library can be referenced and indexed
just at the tip of your fingertips.
Millions upon millions of text can
be stored in devices that get smaller
and smaller every year.
E-books have
certainly opened more doors for
us to enjoy literature.
Books in
digital form can be indexed and
searched for a particular text in
a flash. With the advancements in
technology even e-books captured
in image formats can be searched.
E-books take
up less space. An entire volume
of encyclopedia can be stored in
a single compact disk.
Devices for
reading e-books make it possible
to read even in low light
Texts in
e-books can be magnified, changed
to a different font or color. This
feature will enable handicapped
readers an option for possibly reading
more books.
They can
be converted to audio books using
text-to-speech software.
They are
versatile and readily portable to
different media and platforms.
Distribution
and Reproduction can be done instantly
and at a low cost.
Errors can
be easily rectified just like downloading
a patch for software.
Publishing
requirements aren't as difficult
to produce as requirements for normal
books. They can be published by
independent publishing entities.
They are
relatively cheaper and easier to
maintain.
E-books are
easily converted to any format desired
even to a database.
The potentials
of e-books may be limitless but
they also have their disadvantages.
Some advantages of e-books over
standard books can also be a double
edged sword. They cause eyestrain.
Extended periods of reading can
also cause other health-related
problems.
You always
need a power source for your device
for you to be able to read.
Electronic
media wears and tears easier than
standard books. A scratched CD might
be useless compared to a book with
a torn page.
Has no more
'collectors item' value to it. There
are no rare e-books. Certain software
requires upgrades and can cause
incompatibilities.
Proves too
easy to be copied illegally. Copies
can just be sent through emails.
Types of
E-books.
E-books come
in different formats. Each format
was designed for a certain purpose.
The most common formats used for
e-books are as follows:
Plain text,
is the most basic format of them
all. Plain text can be easily read
by almost all computers and related
devices.
Image files,
these books primarily comprise of
snap shots of the pages of a book.
Zooming is possible but may compromise
the quality of the displayed item.
Rich Text
Format (RTF), is a standard file
set by Microsoft Corporation. RTF
files like HTML (HyperText Markup
Language) files; they are text files
that have special tags or markups.
Standard
Generalized Markup Language (SGML),
quite similar to an RTF and an HTML,
the main difference is that the
markups can come from sets that
can vary.
eXtensible
Markup Language (XML) is derived
from (SGML) also a markup language
but using a markup set that conforms
to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
standard
TeX is an
e-book format that is popular with
the academe. It specializes in e-books
for math, science and computers.
Its best feature is in representing
mathematical formula.
PostScript
is defined as a page description
format. It is used essentially in
desktop publishing. PostScript files
have the '.ps' extension
Portable
Document Format (PDF) is a file
format by Adobe Systems. A widely
accepted format for its robustness
and many features.
eReader is
file format normally associated
with Palm Digital Media electronic
books (Palm Digital Media) E-books
from digital Media are usually encrypted.
Readers are required to buy the
decryption key, which are usually
the credit card number and the buyer's
full name.
Publishing
e-books are proving to be profitable
especially with laws regarding electronic
copyrights are becoming stricter.
E-books are great sources of reading
material some of them you can actually
get for free. There are numerous
web sites that offer writers a place
to showcase their writing. In a
way writers gain public exposure
and readers get variety. The quality
is often good.
No matter
how many kinds of e-books out there,
no matter how trivial or important
the advantages or disadvantages
of e-books, E-books are definitely
here to stay.
Rebecca Hubbard
Hubbard Enterprises
www.eBooksProfit4u.com
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