Electronic Books

Have you ever read a book, but while you put the book down for a moment it closes on you?  Have you ever come across a book with ripped pages and wondered what was written there?

History

The first book was printed in August 15, 1456, and is now credited to Johannes Gutenberg. No printed material was ever credited to Gutenberg during his lifetime. But it was through his invention of the printing press that paper books were produced. Since that time there are many different styles of books such as text books, magazines, reference books, picture books and paperback books. Paper books will be with us for a while because they are still inexpensive and people like inexpensive items, but E-books are a new, computerized way of reading books like the classics and other long books.
 

Now

E-books are books that can be portable, or handheld, although you can download them off of the Internet to your computer to make a virtual library. They have been around for several years and are becoming more popular.  They are even looking into making a standard format for writing the books. There are many advantages to having E-books available in the near future.
E-books can save trees from being turned into books.  Instead of using so much paper to make books, e-books are on disks and hard drives and save a lot of trees. E-books can be read on a palm pilot, Rocket E-Book Reader (a brand of e-book) and your computer.  To turn the pages with E-Books you just click your mouse (if you’re using a computer).  It is sometimes hard for some to turn pages in a book however if you are reading from a screen then you just have to click on the page turner and you’re on the next page.  For people who are disabled in some way, using the computer to read can be an easier way to read a good novel without having problems holding a paper book.  Your hands are free, your neck is not cramped and you can be more alert looking at a screen as opposed to small print from a paper book.
E-books are portable, just like regular books, but they can save space if it is just disk to be carried around or a palm pilot type device.  If you are working from a laptop and you’re work is done then it is easy to read an e-book afterward.  They are good not only for business people but students as well.  Even people who enjoy reading before going to sleep can read an e-book instead of a paper book. E-books are easy to store and you can have many titles on one disk or on your hard drive.  You can have your own virtual library right on your computer.
There are also disadvantages to e-books.  The hardware may be costly until it becomes very popular and the price goes down. Many people believe that only rich people and countries will be able to afford to have e-books. Many writers are worried that they won’t get paid correctly if they can’t keep track of the sale of books, just like what’s happening with Napster and the record companies. Makers discuss whether E-books are a novelty or an alternative.  They wonder if it can be used as a good learning tool or is it just something that will come and go.  As an alternative they are as good as any computer job like faxing and e-mailing, but the problem is that they are not hooked up to printers or to other people so that you can share what you are doing the way you can with the Internet.  As a novelty, e-books are a fun way of reading but the novelty may wear off.

Later

In the future e-books will become a part of libraries in addition to the paper books that are already there.  They may even be a part of schools or school libraries.  One district in Texas was even thinking of switching their textbooks to laptops, but so far it is still too expensive.
I believe that e-books are better than real books because they are easier to use.  Also E-Books can let people who can’t read small print be able to read books that they want to read.  E-Books are better than paper books because they are able to get downloaded on any computer. E-Books are also better because easier to carry than books and you can have more than one E-Book on a Rocket E-Book Reader.  If I had a choice between an E-Book and a paper book I’d choose to have an E-Book.