What+is+an+e-reader?

** What is an e-reader? **

 * Modernity has not only meant the era of industrialization, but also the era of information. The bulk of information that humans have produced and recorded since the appearance of the printing press is indeterminable. Books, of course, have become the main device to store humans' knowledge; however, since the development of the computer, new ways have been found to store information: computer's hard drives, floppy disks, flash drives, CDs among others. Giving the imposed limitations of paper books, it has been necessary to think of a device that could facilitate the storage and portability of books as well as the reduction of the costs of production. It has been this need what has led technology to create e-readers. An e-reader is "a device in which you may store an enormous number of e-books" 1], being an e-book an electronic or digital book. Most e-readers have connection to internet, as it is explained in the video below, which provides a wider scope of access to books, newspapers and other contents of the web.**

**As it can be seen in the image above, an e-reader is made up of a screen and various buttons which help the user carry functions such the organization and reading of e-books. Some versions of e-readers come with touch screen whereas others only provide button for their manipulation. The general principle is that you read as if you had a book in your hands, thus you are presented with one page at a time which you can change when you have read through it by pressing one of the buttons or through a swiping movement as if you were changing the page of a paper book.** **E-readers commonly come in about the size of a paper back novel. According to the screen quality, there are basically two types of e-readers in the market: Ink screen and LCD or TFT screen e-readers [1].The former resembles at all levels a paper book: black text on white page. They are not illuminated as a computer screen is, which makes them similar to regular books in that a user will need a reading light if he is in a dark place. They are easy on the readers' eyes since they require natural conditions of light to be used. The latter, LCD or TFT screen e-reader, differs from the Ink screen type in which it works similar to a computer screen, therefore reproducing color. However, due to this resemblance to a computer screen, readers usually face problems when reading in very bright places; not leaving aside the fact that this device is quite hard on users' eyes. Another disadvantage attached to this type of e-reader is power consumption. While an Ink screen type might take even a couple of weeks to run out of battery, LCD or TFT screens require to be recharged constantly.**
 * Although still a recent technology, e-readers and the use of e-books represent a potential in the educational milieu. So far, it has been reported that the industry of e-books is in a rising progress [2], however, it is not clear yet to what extent e-readers are entering the market with the same strength. E-books, we can say, have had a positive reception in the educational field, but more needs to be known about e-readers, their reception and adoption in educational contexts. For now, a discussion about the educational uses of e-reader might help our understanding of the links between education and e-readers.**

Go to educational Uses

For more details about e-readers and e-books, watch the following videos.

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 * References**:

 1. EbookAnoid. (2011). Back to basics -what is a -reader exactly, and why might you want one? Retrieved from:

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2. Mind Like Water. (2011). What are e-books? Retrieved from: []


 * Other Articles of Interest: **

Definition of e-books: [|What Are eBooks?]

The environmental effects of eBooks: [|Environmental Impacts of E-Books]

The difference between paper and e-books: [|Does the Brain Like E-Books?] 

José A. Álvarez V.