The times when "real books" were hard to produce or find are over. More than that, "paper books" will be replaced with a much more convenient electronic book reader; a device (similar to an iPod) created to hold and display thousands of text files at the same resolution as printed ones.
Even if the electronic books will be low-priced, the device needed will have a price ranging from $250 to $400.

What is E Ink Technology?

E Ink is seen as an improvement over CRT and LCD technologies, enabling the device using it (a reader) to improve the functionality of an ordinary book, being able to adjust the way light reflects on paper, enlarge text and provide special features such as wireless Internet access, memory card storage and text search.

The result of this new E Ink Technology is a "perfect reading experience", similar to paper - high contrast, high resolution, viewable in direct sunlight and at a nearly 180-degree angle, requiring no power to maintain the image.

Electronic Book Readers

Sony Reader

Sony Reader will be available on the market in two or three months, being able to display not only eBooks (average storage size - 80 eBooks), but also PDF documents, personal files, blogs, newsfeeds or images. In addition, the new device will come with an USB, Memory Stick and SD memory card slots, offering both wired and wireless Internet connectivity.

The manufacturer guarantees for the Reader's performances, saying that reading from the Sony Reader is a unique experience, as "paper technology" provides clarity and resolution that can rival with paper itself.

Sony's Reader has a 6-inch screen, the content being as easy to read in full daylight, as indoors. Also, the device can enlarge the text page by more than 200%, the user being able to read from any angle he chooses.

Sony Reader is also smaller and lighter than hardbacks, a full battery lasting for about 7,500 page turns, allowing you to charge it in only 4 hours, using an AC adapter.

You can download thousands of eBooks from Sony's CONNECT Store, an online service offering a wide range of titles - fiction, non-fiction, business, self-help and more. The user will purchase any given title at a lower cost than a print version.



IRex iLiad Reader

IRex Technologies' iLiad Reader, available worldwide starting this month, includes the same features as Sony Reader, the main difference being the fact that the protection of the E Ink layer is made of glass and not plastic, because the latter is not waterproof and the E Ink sheet can be easily damaged.

The iLiad Reader will include a power supply, an RJ-45 (Ethernet) and USB port, so that the user can recharge the Lithium-Ion battery and exchange files between the device and a PC.

Also, the device has a round button that synchronizes the iLiad with the iRex Technologies Delivery Service (IDS) via the built-in wifi connection.


eBooks Stores

The first book publisher to transform its hardbacks into digital format was the famous Random House. As a result, more than 3,000 titles are available, at a price of $18 each, about $7 less than for the paperback version.

"It could be news, articles, blogs, e-mail newsletters -- a tremendous amount is being read and there's more sense in a dedicated device," said Keith Titan, vice president of New Media for Random House Publishing.

For those who want to download eBooks for free, Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ ) is the perfect choice, offering more than 17,000 books in a digital format.