Documenting the Media revolution. Books, Version 2.0 - Research Paper Example

sers typically search e-books for discrete bits of information, a behaviour summed up by the formula "use rather than read."” (Staiger) History of e-books The earliest and most basic e-book format is the PDF (Portable Docment Format). It is a print-friendly format that shares a few common features with standard word-processing software. The layout is fixed and editing is not possible. It is easy to convert a Word file into PDF format by using the ‘print’ or ‘export’ commands. The next most famous format is the EPUB, which is widely compatible across many devices.

Some of the hand features are ‘reflowable’ text, dynamic font size and style. Word files can be saved into EPUB formats. Likewise, programs such as “Adobe's InDesign, Apple's Pages, and OpenOffice, have EPUB as a "save-as" or "export" option.” (Brunsell and Horejsi 8) In recent years diverse array of e-book formats have risen. The major e-book formats as of today include PDF, EPUB, MOBI, KF8, iBook, and others. Though some of these formats are tied into specific devices, they can be easily converted into one another using software programs like Calibre.

For example, any of the above formats can be converted into the format compatible with the iPad with a conversion software. Most Android tablets have the capability to read formats used by Kindle, Nook, and Google Play Books. What’s more, these formats can also be read on computers running on conventional Windows or Mac operating systems. For instance, Adobe Digital Editions, which is free to download, allows PCs to read EPUB format. Apple’s own e-book reader iBooks “can display movies, interactive widgets, and movable 3-D objects.

When the reading device is held vertically, iBooks has a traditional book appearance. Multimedia extras appear in the horizontal orientation.” (Brunsell and Horejsi 8) The two main advantages of e-books cited by library patrons were “searchability and around-the-clock availability. The most frequently cited disadvantages were difficulty of navigation and loss of ability to perform customary research practices such as perusing and shelf-browsing because of e-books' lack of physicality.” (Abram 32) Describe the various devices, past and present, the e-books are read on The technology behind the design and creation of e-book devices is always undergoing change.

Brands such as Nook and Kindle have established themselves as market leaders. Despite their impressive garnering of market share, the market is relatively nascent as the idea of e-book devices if gradually catching on. E-book devices are not competing against conventional PCs and laptops, for the e-books usually read through them are seldom read on computer screens. A prime example are novels and other fiction, which people show little inclination to read off a computer screen. Here, the e-book reading device fills an existing void in the reading preferences of users.

Though at this point, it is difficult to predict how indispensible e-books and the devices would become, a few recent