eReader 101 – basics
For those of us who are out of sync with the world of electronics, e-book readers are devices that are used to read e-books or digital books. Increasingly, a variety of material is available and compatible with many e-readers, enabling the reading of magazines, periodicals, magazines, and newspapers on digital devices such as kindle, ipad, and android tablets. Ebooks are now also written and published by many well-known and unknown writers, continuing the evolution of a new genre of media and technology-focused professions.
Due to its size, eReader users can multitask more efficiently, as tasks can be done “on the go” which could save time. It could be assumed that there are resulting related savings and ramifications, some more obvious than others, as paper and printing cost demands are potentially reduced.
The eReaders are the interface with which the user connects with the server that provides the content, that is, the ebook. Of course, e-books are protected by digital rights management laws and software to maintain formal control over who owns, copies, stores, distributes, and/or prints the material.
The most basic form of ereader is the adobe acrobat pdf reader however ereaders now seem to be breeding with the big players seeming to have settled on a 6″ screen being the most useful in terms of size and features but who knows, how long that mindset will last, maybe the sales figures are listed in there somewhere too as to what gets the most attention and what features get added last.
The latest eReaders feature a touch interface that attempts to create a user experience very similar to what it would be like if the reader were reading a regular hardcover book. Additionally, users can search for content, annotate content, share, and collaborate with others through a growing variety of online networks. In this sense, eReaders provide a unique foreign experience to traditional book readers. Some e-readers also include voice reading apps.
Analyzing some of the anecdotal evidence on the potential benefits of e-readers, users have commented on the following: reduced printing and paper costs for physical books, digitization of content contributes to environmental sustainability, time-efficient device for people on the go, ease of use through Portability and increasingly intuitive user interface, suitable for all age groups from students to seniors, evolution of literary occupations, occupational therapeutic benefits yet to be realized, etc.
eReaders: A useful and productive “toy” for children of all ages!
So now that you have a brief understanding of e-readers, where can you buy a Kindle? Well, at the time of this writing, Kindles can be purchased online at Sears and Amazon; they have supplies in stock. BestBuy and Target do not currently provide an option to purchase Kindles online, while Walmart and CDW Corp require that you contact them first to check price and availability. You might also be interested in checking out eBay as they currently have “used” and “like new” deals which, considering the Christmas gift “wash” of 2011, may well increase in the near future. Choose wisely.
