Iconic Britannica Goes All Digital

Once it was sold door to door to the baby boomer’s parents hoping to give their kids an edge in school. The volumes were beautifully bound and were often the only real books found in many households. It could be purchased volume by volume beginning with “A” and ending with “Z”. Of course I am referring to the iconic Encyclopedia Britannica.

Last month, after almost 250 years, the Britannica announced it would no longer print the encyclopedia in paper and ink form. Instead the company will offer an online version for an annual subscription price of about $70. The print version retailed at about $1,400.

This decision was inevitable. Paper and ink reference books, especially those dealing with science, geography and even history are often out of date the day they come off the press. Now using the Internet and storing data in the cloud, reference material can be constantly updated and the material accessed almost anywhere using a PC, Tablet, even a phone.

The online Britannica with a subscription required will go head to head with Wikipedia which is free and partially supported by contributions. Britannica president Jorge Cauz said the move is a natural part of his company's evolution and that the print version of the encyclopedia accounts for only about 1% of revenues. The company is counting on its reputation for accuracy to set it apart from Wikipedia. The latter gets its information from “crowd sourcing,” that is allowing anyone to add information to an entry in the hopes that enough people reading and revising the entries will result in accurate information. Over time this may well be true. Nevertheless using Wikipedia as a sole source of important information can be dangerous.

The Britannica is only one of many hard copy volumes that are disappearing. The proliferation of eReaders and tablet computers has prompted some text book publishers to opt for online books. Not only does this negate the need to maintain inventory and shipping, it allows textbooks to be updated continuously. One can hope that the inflated price for textbooks, especially for college level courses, will be reduced commensurate with the savings realized by the publishers.

I for one will miss having the real books to page through. It seems to me that paging through the encyclopedia is a different experience that surfing Google or YouTube. That being said, any technology that allows the free flow of information and knowledge is a good thing. Kids will have to figure out a new way to press autumn leaves and flowers. I don’t thing a thumb drive will do it.

Iconic Britannica Goes All Digital

Once it was sold door to door to the baby boomer’s parents hoping to give their kids an edge in school. The volumes were beautifully bound and were often the only real books found in many households. It could be purchased volume by volume beginning with “A” and ending with “Z”. Of course I am referring to the iconic Encyclopedia Britannica.

Last month, after almost 250 years, the Britannica announced it would no longer print the encyclopedia in paper and ink form. Instead the company will offer an online version for an annual subscription price of about $70. The print version retailed at about $1,400.

This decision was inevitable. Paper and ink reference books, especially those dealing with science, geography and even history are often out of date the day they come off the press. Now using the Internet and storing data in the cloud, reference material can be constantly updated and the material accessed almost anywhere using a PC, Tablet, even a phone.

The online Britannica with a subscription required will go head to head with Wikipedia which is free and partially supported by contributions. Britannica president Jorge Cauz said the move is a natural part of his company's evolution and that the print version of the encyclopedia accounts for only about 1% of revenues. The company is counting on its reputation for accuracy to set it apart from Wikipedia. The latter gets its information from “crowd sourcing,” that is allowing anyone to add information to an entry in the hopes that enough people reading and revising the entries will result in accurate information. Over time this may well be true. Nevertheless using Wikipedia as a sole source of important information can be dangerous.

The Britannica is only one of many hard copy volumes that are disappearing. The proliferation of eReaders and tablet computers has prompted some text book publishers to opt for online books. Not only does this negate the need to maintain inventory and shipping, it allows textbooks to be updated continuously. One can hope that the inflated price for textbooks, especially for college level courses, will be reduced commensurate with the savings realized by the publishers.

I for one will miss having the real books to page through. It seems to me that paging through the encyclopedia is a different experience that surfing Google or YouTube. That being said, any technology that allows the free flow of information and knowledge is a good thing. Kids will have to figure out a new way to press autumn leaves and flowers. I don’t thing a thumb drive will do it.

A Look Back

At the end of each year it has been my custom to take a look into the year ahead and highlight what I feel will be some major developments in the digital world. Any prediction, be it the weather for the next day or the success on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium is, at best, a dangerous practice. Predictions about the digital world are no exception. So before looking ahead to next year, let’s see how I did with my crystal ball this year.

One of my major predictions had to do with the increase in “cloud computing” for both individuals and businesses. I said that more and more of our information, both public and personal, would be stored on and retrieved from large centrally located cloud servers. Our personal calendars, contact lists, correspondence, medical history, entertainment and embarrassing party videos will reside not on our personal computer’s hard drive, but on drives shared by our neighbors.

For sure that has happened. Apple’s iCloud service is absolutely integral to several applications running on the iPhone and iPad. The new Kindle Fire, as well as the original Kindle models, all have cloud support hosted by Amazon.com. The music we hear, the movies we watch and even the money we make are being stored in the cloud.

I predicted an increase in online access to movies and TV programs and a trending away from traditional cable and satellite services. Cable subscriptions are down especially among the younger more digitally aware generation. Even TV ownership numbers among the 20-something generation is flagging as they watch TV on their iPads and other tablets. This past year also saw missteps by NetFlix as they struggled with changing their company from a “snail mail” based DVD library to a delivery system using broadband Internet.

While the smart phone has not yet morphed into an electronic wallet as I had predicted, other non-traditional retailing applications have increased. For example, there is an increased use of electronic coupons. Price comparison apps for smart phones are commonplace.

So all in all my predictions were close. Next week I will go out on a limb and peer into 2012.

A reminder… In January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

A Look Back

At the end of each year it has been my custom to take a look into the year ahead and highlight what I feel will be some major developments in the digital world. Any prediction, be it the weather for the next day or the success on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium is, at best, a dangerous practice. Predictions about the digital world are no exception. So before looking ahead to next year, let’s see how I did with my crystal ball this year.

One of my major predictions had to do with the increase in “cloud computing” for both individuals and businesses. I said that more and more of our information, both public and personal, would be stored on and retrieved from large centrally located cloud servers. Our personal calendars, contact lists, correspondence, medical history, entertainment and embarrassing party videos will reside not on our personal computer’s hard drive, but on drives shared by our neighbors.

For sure that has happened. Apple’s iCloud service is absolutely integral to several applications running on the iPhone and iPad. The new Kindle Fire, as well as the original Kindle models, all have cloud support hosted by Amazon.com. The music we hear, the movies we watch and even the money we make are being stored in the cloud.

I predicted an increase in online access to movies and TV programs and a trending away from traditional cable and satellite services. Cable subscriptions are down especially among the younger more digitally aware generation. Even TV ownership numbers among the 20-something generation is flagging as they watch TV on their iPads and other tablets. This past year also saw missteps by NetFlix as they struggled with changing their company from a “snail mail” based DVD library to a delivery system using broadband Internet.

While the smart phone has not yet morphed into an electronic wallet as I had predicted, other non-traditional retailing applications have increased. For example, there is an increased use of electronic coupons. Price comparison apps for smart phones are commonplace.

So all in all my predictions were close. Next week I will go out on a limb and peer into 2012.

A reminder… In January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

Some Gift Ideas of the Digital Kind

It is time again for me to give my annual suggestions for gift giving of the digital kind ranging in price from only a few bucks to a couple hundred. This week and next we will look at a few.

If your gift giving list includes someone who likes to read books, an eReader may be just the ticket. There are a number of them on the market right now and there seems to be a new offering every week. My recommendation is still the Kindle which has several models. I suggest either the Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard. While Amazon.com, the maker of the Kindle, now has the Kindle Fire, if the person getting the gift is really just interested in reading books, the Touch or Keyboard versions are the best as they both use eInk technology that is easy on the eyes and allows battery life to extend to weeks.

The least expensive Kindle costs about $79.00 but you have to put up with annoying advertising pitches and Amazon “special offers” on the screen. Spend the extra 20 bucks and select the version without screen saver advertisements.

The Kindle Fire has been getting a lot of attention for the very attractive price of $199 and many describe it as a less expensive iPad; I don’t agree. The Fire has great graphics and a color screen, but it is not an iPad. In my opinion, the Fire is a device primarily designed to allow the easy purchase and display of the many media products sold by Amazon.com. If that is what you are looking for, go no further. If you really want the best tablet on the market, the iPad is still the gold standard.

How about some stocking stuffers for that teen on your list. You can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. They come in denominations from $15 up to $100. You can get them on line at the iTunes Store. For that avid reader who uses the Kindle, Amazon.com has gift cards in most any denomination. They can be used to purchase books as well as any other product sold by Amazon.

For that digital photography buff, how about giving an extra SD Card? They can be purchased beginning at about 10 bucks. You can never have enough SD Cards especially when you are on vacation as they fill up fast.

Next week I’ll have more suggestions.

Some Gift Ideas of the Digital Kind

It is time again for me to give my annual suggestions for gift giving of the digital kind ranging in price from only a few bucks to a couple hundred. This week and next we will look at a few.

If your gift giving list includes someone who likes to read books, an eReader may be just the ticket. There are a number of them on the market right now and there seems to be a new offering every week. My recommendation is still the Kindle which has several models. I suggest either the Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard. While Amazon.com, the maker of the Kindle, now has the Kindle Fire, if the person getting the gift is really just interested in reading books, the Touch or Keyboard versions are the best as they both use eInk technology that is easy on the eyes and allows battery life to extend to weeks.

The least expensive Kindle costs about $79.00 but you have to put up with annoying advertising pitches and Amazon “special offers” on the screen. Spend the extra 20 bucks and select the version without screen saver advertisements.

The Kindle Fire has been getting a lot of attention for the very attractive price of $199 and many describe it as a less expensive iPad; I don’t agree. The Fire has great graphics and a color screen, but it is not an iPad. In my opinion, the Fire is a device primarily designed to allow the easy purchase and display of the many media products sold by Amazon.com. If that is what you are looking for, go no further. If you really want the best tablet on the market, the iPad is still the gold standard.

How about some stocking stuffers for that teen on your list. You can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. They come in denominations from $15 up to $100. You can get them on line at the iTunes Store. For that avid reader who uses the Kindle, Amazon.com has gift cards in most any denomination. They can be used to purchase books as well as any other product sold by Amazon.

For that digital photography buff, how about giving an extra SD Card? They can be purchased beginning at about 10 bucks. You can never have enough SD Cards especially when you are on vacation as they fill up fast.

Next week I’ll have more suggestions.

Kindle Fire, A Game Changer?

Most first year marketing students can relate the story attributed to a Black & Decker executive. He is said to have once lectured to his marketing staff that “We don’t sell electric drills, we sell holes.” Whether this exchange ever happened is irrelevant. What is important is the concept of understanding what you are selling and what the customer really wants.

The recent announcement by Amazon.com indicates that the company has taken the “drill / hole” analogy to heart. Amazon.com announced a new version of the very popular Kindle called the Kindle Fire. I have discussed the Kindle in this column several times since it was released more than two years ago. Up until this iteration of the device, the Kindle was essentially an eReader, arguably the best eReader on the market. It was not designed to do much else and the millions of users appreciated the simplicity and functionality.

The Kindle Fire, which will be available in November just in time for the holiday shopping season, is much more than a color version of the original. The Fire is a multimedia viewer/player. Not only can you read books, magazines and newspapers, you can also watch movies and your favorite TV programs.

Here is where the “drill” analogy comes in. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos used a Steve Jobs-like multimedia extravaganza to announce the Kindle Fire, but unlike Jobs when he announced the iPad, Bezos concentrated most of his remarks on the content that was available for the Kindle Fire not on the speed of the microprocessor or other techno facts.

Bezos and Amazon.com are counting on the fact that the customer is not in the market for a new digital device, they want to watch movies or TV shows and do it effortlessly and, more important, inexpensively. A look at the marketing materials on the Amzon.com website demonstrates this emphasis. Almost 95% of the page deals with content. Only at the very bottom of the page will you find information about the innards of the device. The official iPad web page is virtually void of any mention of what you can do with the iPad instead concentrating on the device specifications, i.e., color, wifi or 4G, 16 gig or 64 gig, etc.

Since the Kindle Fire will not be shipped until November it is too early to see if it will pose significant competition to Apple’s iPAd. The price of $199 vs. the iPad starting at about $500 will certainly make some take a close look at the Fire. The real competitive advantage that Amazon.com may have is the vast library of books, movies and TV shows they have available and the seamless and hassle free method of ordering and retrieving these materials with the Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire, A Game Changer?

Most first year marketing students can relate the story attributed to a Black & Decker executive. He is said to have once lectured to his marketing staff that “We don’t sell electric drills, we sell holes.” Whether this exchange ever happened is irrelevant. What is important is the concept of understanding what you are selling and what the customer really wants.

The recent announcement by Amazon.com indicates that the company has taken the “drill / hole” analogy to heart. Amazon.com announced a new version of the very popular Kindle called the Kindle Fire. I have discussed the Kindle in this column several times since it was released more than two years ago. Up until this iteration of the device, the Kindle was essentially an eReader, arguably the best eReader on the market. It was not designed to do much else and the millions of users appreciated the simplicity and functionality.

The Kindle Fire, which will be available in November just in time for the holiday shopping season, is much more than a color version of the original. The Fire is a multimedia viewer/player. Not only can you read books, magazines and newspapers, you can also watch movies and your favorite TV programs.

Here is where the “drill” analogy comes in. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos used a Steve Jobs-like multimedia extravaganza to announce the Kindle Fire, but unlike Jobs when he announced the iPad, Bezos concentrated most of his remarks on the content that was available for the Kindle Fire not on the speed of the microprocessor or other techno facts.

Bezos and Amazon.com are counting on the fact that the customer is not in the market for a new digital device, they want to watch movies or TV shows and do it effortlessly and, more important, inexpensively. A look at the marketing materials on the Amzon.com website demonstrates this emphasis. Almost 95% of the page deals with content. Only at the very bottom of the page will you find information about the innards of the device. The official iPad web page is virtually void of any mention of what you can do with the iPad instead concentrating on the device specifications, i.e., color, wifi or 4G, 16 gig or 64 gig, etc.

Since the Kindle Fire will not be shipped until November it is too early to see if it will pose significant competition to Apple’s iPAd. The price of $199 vs. the iPad starting at about $500 will certainly make some take a close look at the Fire. The real competitive advantage that Amazon.com may have is the vast library of books, movies and TV shows they have available and the seamless and hassle free method of ordering and retrieving these materials with the Kindle Fire.

Kindle or iPad?

Several people have asked if they should purchase a Kindle or an iPad. The question really can’t be answered until I ascertain what they plan to do with the device. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I think that the Kindle is one of the best electronic devices to come around in many years. You also know that I have praised the iPad as one of the most innovative and user friendly digital devices ever.



Unlike the iPad which is essentially an electronic Swiss army knife, the Kindle does one thing and only one thing extremely well. It is in my opinion the best eReader on the market. Priced about $150, the Kindle from Amazon.com is a serious reader’s dream device. It is light weight and it has awesome battery life measured in weeks not hours. The crisp black and white display uses “eInk” technology that is easily viewed in bright sunlight. It can hold thousands of full length books and most any book in the world can be downloaded in seconds into the device. The Kindle comes with software that allows you to mark and save your favorite passages and even has a dictionary to assist with words that may not be familiar. For reading text the Kindle is a near perfect device. If you want to surf the web, read magazines, play games or write the next great novel, the Kindle should not be your choice.



The iPad does most everything a desktop or lap top computer can do but it does it more elegantly and always with the user in mind. You can surf the web with ease. Watching your favorite TV show or movie can be done with a few screen touches. The number of apps, or programs for the iPad, grows almost exponentially each month. The iPad, perhaps even more than its older siblings, the iPhone and iPod, has revolutionized how we use a computer.



The iPad does indeed have several eReader apps but does not in my opinion come close to the Kindle. First of all the iPad is larger and heavier and the battery life is measured in hours. The screen, while bright and sharp, can not be viewed in bright sunlight and because it is back lighted, reading for long stretches of time can cause eye fatigue. The iPad does do a better job of displaying magazine content that uses lots of illustrations, graphs, photographs and intricate design elements. Also, if the reading material contains links to web sites and other content on the Internet, the iPad is a better choice.



The bottom line is that the devices are really very different. If you want a great eReader you can’t beat the Kindle for price and utility. If you want a mobile high end computer, the iPad should be your choice. For me having both is the best choice. You can use a Swiss army knife for occasionally tightening a loose screw. If you plan to build a deck, you may wish to have a power screw driver.

Kindle or iPad?

Several people have asked if they should purchase a Kindle or an iPad. The question really can’t be answered until I ascertain what they plan to do with the device. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I think that the Kindle is one of the best electronic devices to come around in many years. You also know that I have praised the iPad as one of the most innovative and user friendly digital devices ever.

Unlike the iPad which is essentially an electronic Swiss army knife, the Kindle does one thing and only one thing extremely well. It is in my opinion the best eReader on the market. Priced about $150, the Kindle from Amazon.com is a serious reader’s dream device. It is light weight and it has awesome battery life measured in weeks not hours. The crisp black and white display uses “eInk” technology that is easily viewed in bright sunlight. It can hold thousands of full length books and most any book in the world can be downloaded in seconds into the device. The Kindle comes with software that allows you to mark and save your favorite passages and even has a dictionary to assist with words that may not be familiar. For reading text the Kindle is a near perfect device. If you want to surf the web, read magazines, play games or write the next great novel, the Kindle should not be your choice.

The iPad does most everything a desktop or lap top computer can do but it does it more elegantly and always with the user in mind. You can surf the web with ease. Watching your favorite TV show or movie can be done with a few screen touches. The number of apps, or programs for the iPad, grows almost exponentially each month. The iPad, perhaps even more than its older siblings, the iPhone and iPod, has revolutionized how we use a computer.

The iPad does indeed have several eReader apps but does not in my opinion come close to the Kindle. First of all the iPad is larger and heavier and the battery life is measured in hours. The screen, while bright and sharp, can not be viewed in bright sunlight and because it is back lighted, reading for long stretches of time can cause eye fatigue. The iPad does do a better job of displaying magazine content that uses lots of illustrations, graphs, photographs and intricate design elements. Also, if the reading material contains links to web sites and other content on the Internet, the iPad is a better choice.

The bottom line is that the devices are really very different. If you want a great eReader you can’t beat the Kindle for price and utility. If you want a mobile high end computer, the iPad should be your choice. For me having both is the best choice. You can use a Swiss army knife for occasionally tightening a loose screw. If you plan to build a deck, you may wish to have a power screw driver.

Kindle - Even Better Than I Thought

A few weeks back Amazon.com announced that they were now selling more eBooks than all hardback and paperback versions combined. It was only about a year ago that they announced that eBook sales had surpassed the Amazon hardback sales. This meteoric spike in sales is due in large part to the sale of eBook readers. The Kindle from Amazon, as well as others like the Nook and the Sony Reader, are some of the most popular new digital must-haves. The iPad and other tablet computers can be used as eBook readers as can many smart phones.

My thoughtful wife placed a Kindle under the tree for me on Christmas morning and I have not put it down since. It is one of the most user friendly and well designed digital devices I have ever used. Part of the reason is that it is designed for one thing and one thing alone and that is to read eBooks.

The version I have is about the size of a paperback book but much thinner, less than ½ inch. It weighs only a few ounces. The display uses eInk rather than the traditional LCD screens found on the iPad, most laptop computers and smart phones. An eInk page looks just like a printed page and can be read in bright sunlight. The only down side is that it can’t be read in the dark. My aging eyes appreciate not reading from the bright back-lighted computer screen. eInk also is the secret behind the battery life of several weeks between charging.

Searching for and downloading a book is quick and intuitive. When you first turn it on, the Kindle takes you through a simple set up. If you already have an account with Amazon.com it links that information to your Kindle account. It took me less than five minutes to set it up and download my first book, Autobiography of Mark Twain. While I have not tried this, Amazon claims that the device can hold as many as 3000 or more books.

Purchasing a book is a breeze. The Kindle has a menu item called “Shop in Kindle Store.” The Kindle connects to Amazon either through a WiFi or 3G service. From there you can search by title, author or genre just like the regular Amazon.com online store. Once you find the book, pressing “Buy” is all you need do. The book is downloaded to the Kindle, in most cases in about 30 seconds, and your Amazon account is billed. You will get an email verifying the purchase. So in less than a minute you can have most any book in publication in your hands.

When you buy a book it is downloaded into you Kindle but is also available for free downloading in the future in case your device malfunctions or you exceed the 3000 book internal capacity. Most eBooks from Amazon are $9.00 or less. Books out of copyright are free.

For the avid reader, the Kindle is an exceptional digital device. It is inexpensive, well designed and it works.

Kindle - Even Better Than I Thought

A few weeks back Amazon.com announced that they were now selling more eBooks than all hardback and paperback versions combined. It was only about a year ago that they announced that eBook sales had surpassed the Amazon hardback sales. This meteoric spike in sales is due in large part to the sale of eBook readers. The Kindle from Amazon, as well as others like the Nook and the Sony Reader, are some of the most popular new digital must-haves. The iPad and other tablet computers can be used as eBook readers as can many smart phones.

My thoughtful wife placed a Kindle under the tree for me on Christmas morning and I have not put it down since. It is one of the most user friendly and well designed digital devices I have ever used. Part of the reason is that it is designed for one thing and one thing alone and that is to read eBooks.

The version I have is about the size of a paperback book but much thinner, less than ½ inch. It weighs only a few ounces. The display uses eInk rather than the traditional LCD screens found on the iPad, most laptop computers and smart phones. An eInk page looks just like a printed page and can be read in bright sunlight. The only down side is that it can’t be read in the dark. My aging eyes appreciate not reading from the bright back-lighted computer screen. eInk also is the secret behind the battery life of several weeks between charging.

Searching for and downloading a book is quick and intuitive. When you first turn it on, the Kindle takes you through a simple set up. If you already have an account with Amazon.com it links that information to your Kindle account. It took me less than five minutes to set it up and download my first book, Autobiography of Mark Twain. While I have not tried this, Amazon claims that the device can hold as many as 3000 or more books.

Purchasing a book is a breeze. The Kindle has a menu item called “Shop in Kindle Store.” The Kindle connects to Amazon either through a WiFi or 3G service. From there you can search by title, author or genre just like the regular Amazon.com online store. Once you find the book, pressing “Buy” is all you need do. The book is downloaded to the Kindle, in most cases in about 30 seconds, and your Amazon account is billed. You will get an email verifying the purchase. So in less than a minute you can have most any book in publication in your hands.

When you buy a book it is downloaded into you Kindle but is also available for free downloading in the future in case your device malfunctions or you exceed the 3000 book internal capacity. Most eBooks from Amazon are $9.00 or less. Books out of copyright are free.

For the avid reader, the Kindle is an exceptional digital device. It is inexpensive, well designed and it works.

eReaders Worth Another Look

leMany of us are beginning to spend more time indoors as the weather turns cooler, and for some that means we will have more time to read. I thought that this might be a great time to review the various options for eBooks readers. An eBook reader is a digital device that allows you to read eBooks and periodicals. The term eBook refers to a variety of texts and images that are presented in digital form and able to be read on a computer or on other digital devices such as an eBook reader. Like so many new products, the first one to market often becomes the recognized moniker. So, many people refer to all eBook readers as “Kindles.” Actually Kindle, an Amazon.com product, is only one of several devices that fall into this categoy.

Beside Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle2, Sony has a product called PRS-700 and Barnes and Noble offers the Nook. While not an eReader, Apple’s iPad and other tablet compters coming to market can also be used to read eBook files.

When selecting an eReader, foremost in your selection criteria should be the quality of the display screen and how comfortable you are reading text for long periods on the screen. There are two main types of screens. In my opinion, the screens that use eInk technology are the best. Unlike the traditionl computer screens that are lighted from behind, eInk screens form the words on a white background just like a printed page. This makes the text readable in bright sunlight but does not strain your eyes if you are in low light areas. eInk is as close to real paper and ink as you can get. The Kindle, Nook and PRS-700 all use eInk technology. The iPad and other tablet computers use traditional back-lit screens.

Another feature that you should consider is how the files are loaded into the device. Some require that you have a hard-wired or wifi internet connection. Others use the 3G mobile networks. The Kindle uses the latter and makes loading books and periodicles a cinch. While it uses the 3G mobile network, it is transparent to the user meaning that you don’t need to subcribe to any new service. The Kindle does this in the background. So if you want a book from Amazon.com, you select it and it is atomatically downloaded.

Finally, be sure the eReader that you choose is able to read all of the various formats of eBooks. While all can read the most used commercial formats, there is a format called ePub. It is being used by libraries to distribute free material. As of this writing, all but the Kindle products can read ePub files.

More and more books are becoming available in electronic form and even college textbooks are adopting the format. The ease of reading, ability to have several books at your fingertips without the need of a large backpack and the lower prices of eBooks make an eBook reader something to consider.

eReaders Worth Another Look

leMany of us are beginning to spend more time indoors as the weather turns cooler, and for some that means we will have more time to read. I thought that this might be a great time to review the various options for eBooks readers. An eBook reader is a digital device that allows you to read eBooks and periodicals. The term eBook refers to a variety of texts and images that are presented in digital form and able to be read on a computer or on other digital devices such as an eBook reader. Like so many new products, the first one to market often becomes the recognized moniker. So, many people refer to all eBook readers as “Kindles.” Actually Kindle, an Amazon.com product, is only one of several devices that fall into this categoy.

Beside Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle2, Sony has a product called PRS-700 and Barnes and Noble offers the Nook. While not an eReader, Apple’s iPad and other tablet compters coming to market can also be used to read eBook files.

When selecting an eReader, foremost in your selection criteria should be the quality of the display screen and how comfortable you are reading text for long periods on the screen. There are two main types of screens. In my opinion, the screens that use eInk technology are the best. Unlike the traditionl computer screens that are lighted from behind, eInk screens form the words on a white background just like a printed page. This makes the text readable in bright sunlight but does not strain your eyes if you are in low light areas. eInk is as close to real paper and ink as you can get. The Kindle, Nook and PRS-700 all use eInk technology. The iPad and other tablet computers use traditional back-lit screens.

Another feature that you should consider is how the files are loaded into the device. Some require that you have a hard-wired or wifi internet connection. Others use the 3G mobile networks. The Kindle uses the latter and makes loading books and periodicles a cinch. While it uses the 3G mobile network, it is transparent to the user meaning that you don’t need to subcribe to any new service. The Kindle does this in the background. So if you want a book from Amazon.com, you select it and it is atomatically downloaded.

Finally, be sure the eReader that you choose is able to read all of the various formats of eBooks. While all can read the most used commercial formats, there is a format called ePub. It is being used by libraries to distribute free material. As of this writing, all but the Kindle products can read ePub files.

More and more books are becoming available in electronic form and even college textbooks are adopting the format. The ease of reading, ability to have several books at your fingertips without the need of a large backpack and the lower prices of eBooks make an eBook reader something to consider.