E-book+reader

E-book Reader

Description

An [|e-book reader] is a portable electronic devise that is designed specifically for reading purposes. Any device that can display text on a screen can be referred to as an e-book reader. The primary objective of this reading device’ is to enable the frequent readers to conveniently read multiple digital e-books on the go. E-book readers give the reader the opportunity to read, download and save multiple [|e-books], pdfs, articles, newspapers and also magazines. E-book readers are purposefully designed to be a digital reading devices even tough they are similar in design and form to [|tablet computer]s. E-book readers are well known for their longer battery life and better readability of their screens especially in bright sunlight. Below is a list of the most common e-book readers that can be purchased from various online stores.

History
The first eBook readers appeared in the market in 1998 when the Softbook and Gemstar’s Rocket eBook Readers were released. In 2000 and after two years from softbook release, Stephen King’s horror novel, Ride the Bullet, was released only as an eBook (at first). The e-book readers at that time did not receive much attention from the public as demands remain poor. As a result, Gemstar closed its doors in July and [|Barnes & Noble, Inc.] stopped selling eBooks at its online store. This unsuccessful start led critics to conclude that the eBooks trend will not last. Soon afterwards, in 2004, Sony released the Librié, the first eBook reader to utilise eInk (electronic ink). The public was impressed to see the annoying glare gone from backlit screens in earlier eBook readers that strains the eyes. With this new __#|technology__, words on the screen had almost the same clarity as words printed on paper. The new era of e-book readers’ innovation continued with the Amazon.com 2007 release of the Kindle that was made exclusively for the American market. The first set of Kindle e-readers sold out in five and a half hours. A year later, the first online eBook store, Books on Board (booksonboard.com), started selling eBooks for [|iPh]one. In 2009, Amazon.com released the Kindle 2 that was shipped to more than 100 countries. In the same year, Sony linked with libraries via the Overdrive digital network to enable people to borrow eBooks from libraries. This particular innovative step together with Barnes & Noble release of its own eBook reader made e-readers go viral. In November 2009, BlythAcademy (a private Canadian secondary school) was the first school in the entire world to supply its students with Sony Readers loaded with their textbooks. Furthermore, In April 2010, The __#|Apple iPad__ debuts, and the iBookstore sold half a million ebooks in less than a month. All of these major innovations contributed tremendously to the on-going success of e-book readers in today’s market. Impact on Teaching and Learning

E-book readers have taken the world by storm. Nowadays, many readers around the world are considering e-book readers as an alternative to other electronic devices. They are extremely convenient not only for students but also for busy professionals. An e-book reader can be an integral part in students’ academic success. Students who practically use the e-book readers and __#|tablet computers__ tend to develop their ability to read faster as well as improve their reading comprehension through reading multi-subject e-books on a daily basis. A study was conducted on elementary students in a mixed 7th/8th grade class, students who were given [|iPad]s performed higher on standardized test than those who were taught in the traditional manner. Students have the opportunity to immediately access information by purchasing, downloading and reading [|e-books] within minutes, without having to go to a __#|bookstore__ or a library, neither wait for days, weeks and sometimes more for the books to arrive in the mail. With today's technology, students can use e-book readers everywhere, on the bus, train, airplane, and while standing in line. Additionally, ebooks are more safely stored and carried from one place to another, than ordinary books. They also withstand time more than books. Ebook readers can be interactive and contain audio and animation, which can enhance the writers and authors’ message. What is fascinating about e-readers is that they show links for easy access to more information and related websites which gives the average reader the ability to conveniently look up information needed. This convenience makes e-book readers a powerful tool that tremendously influences learning. Furthermore, E-book readers give readers the ability to even carry a whole library of hundreds of books without worrying about their weight. That particularly motivates individuals to read more often than having to purchase printed expensive textbooks. Unfortunately, e-readers can be easily damaged if dropped; for that particular reason, students need to exercise precautions when using these sensitive portable devices.

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Practical Applications

E-book readers contain various practical applications that make it easier for the reader to instantly acquire useful information. E-book reader gives the readers the freedom of choice, they can either read newspapers and e-books to learn or play crossword or chess to entertain themselves. Readers can also store all their purchased e-books in alphabetical order and organize them in shelves just like they do in their own library. Additionally, Readers can highlight the most essential pieces of information and organize it in files for later use. Readers can also access more detailed information through hyperlinks. The new e-book readers such as nook color keep the readers entertained by adding new features to the system such as Sudoku and Pandora. Nook color offers the readers the opportunity to download the nook app to their ipads and iphones. Readers also can access the internet through nook as it is supported by [|3G] and wireless connectivity. Parents and teachers can play audio enabled e-books to children for the purpose of learning while entertaining. Readers can even listen to radio while reading periodicals. Besides that, e-readers support different files formats and include edit-tools, navigation and display features that can be easily acquired by the reader. Readers can send various files including, magazines, pdfs, articles and electronic newspapers from their computers to e-book readers. The readers can also download multiple e-books from online store for a low price instead of carrying heavy textbooks. Furthermore, the users can lend as well as share e-books, newspapers, pdfs, articles and magazines with friends, classmates and family.

Examples or Demonstrations

The Nook e-book reader tutorial. media type="youtube" key="BjLFPh1cneA" height="315" width="420"

Other examples: The Amazon Kindle and Sony E-book reader media type="youtube" key="oi2q5gTlu6o" height="315" width="420"

References

2- E-book readers list, retrieved September 22, 2012 from [] 3-History of e-books, retrieved September 22, 2012 from [] 4- E-books readers impact on learning, retrieved September 22, 2012 from [] and []. 5- Nook e-book reader/Demonstrations and examples, retrieved September 22, 2012 from [] []

External Links [|www.barnesandnoble.com/] [] [] [] []

About the Author

Youssef Hadiri is an ETEC Master's student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is currently working as a translator and substitute teacher.