eBooks are the digital format of printed books available on computers and handheld electronic devices and include texts and images and sometimes audio, video, and various links to websites. Generally, eBooks are purchased through the internet, but some are accessible for free.
In 1971, Michael S. Hart digitized the U.S. Declaration of Independence and provided the world’s first eBook on Project Gutenberg. During 1997-98, Rocket eBook and Softbook were launched as eBook readers. In 2007, Amazon launched its Kindle eBook reader in the U.S. and gained worldwide appreciation as it made book reading easier. The publishing industry has been trying to cope with modern technologies as the number of tech-savvy people is increasing. Digital publishers are gaining much importance nowadays with the advent of eBooks. They are assigned to digitize and transform the physical form of books into digital form.
eBooks are generally cheaper than paperbacks and hardcovers, but eBook licenses are more costly. These can be downloaded directly on computers or devices after the purchase. Also, various online libraries provide free access to eBooks to the public through their websites. This started with the American Library Association in 1998.
A large proportion of the population prefers printed books in paperback and hardcover editions over eBooks. With the gradual technological advancements, people are nowadays getting interested in the idea of eBooks. Individuals can have one eBook reader and can access all the books available on this platform. Also, eBooks can be shared through the internet easily and have multiple users. eBooks have great scope for further developments and universal acceptability. The digital publishers are trying to improve the content by adding more features like read-aloud, hyperlinks, audio and visual effects, like 3D figures or even GRE calculators. Ten years from now, most books will have an electronic version and can be accessed on portable devices.
The contents in eBooks can be updated by the authors and publishers anytime, as these are cloud-based, and thus it saves the cost of reprinting various editions of the book and saves time and money. eBooks allow the writers to experiment and edit their pre-submitted work and are published faster. Also, eBooks can preserve the books. For some reason, the publishing of a book gets banned, or the publisher stops publishing, one can easily get the eBook even if the paperback edition is not available. Thus, there remains a digital edition of old books. In a way, eBooks are beneficial for the environment and do not require the trees’ felling down to produce large quantities of paper. Also, eBooks save the cost of transport and a high cost of publishing.
There are certain disadvantages too. eBooks are worsening our physical and mental health. Continuous reading from electronic devices causes eye problems. Apart from this, not all eBooks are available for free and cannot be accessed. It always needs to get purchased and downloaded before printing. Also, internet connection and website issues often restrict the user from reading.
10 Lines on EBooks in English
- eBooks can be downloaded in a single device and many at times with multiple user access.
- These are portable and can be accessed everywhere through online platforms after downloading.
- eBooks have a comparatively lower cost of production than hardcopies and are also affordable to various categories of users.
- eBooks provide additional information and various other features like hyperlinks and visual effects to make it look more interesting.
- At times the free accessibility of eBooks helps in better marketing, and availability of printed copies of books.
- eBooks can be instantly accessed and have made book reading easier.
- eBooks can save up a lot of space.
- Personalization of the document on respective devices has made eBooks more appealing.
- eBooks increase the screen time of the users causing various eye problems.
- Both fiction and non-fiction books are available in digital format and are available as desired.