¶ … future of E-books from the writer's point-of-view. There were five sources used to complete this paper.
The technological explosion over the last few decades has taken the world to heights it never knew were possible. Today, with the click of a mouse, one can purchase stocks, plan and book trips, chat with others around the world and many other functions. One of the most innovative functions that technology now allows is the use of E-books. E-books are an up and coming ability to locate and read full textbooks online. There has been much controversy as to the advantages and disadvantages of having E-books available and as the debate continues the industry moves forward. America has been in an economic slump for several years and the future of E-books is precarious, however the industry has managed to survive and continues to grow despite the obstacles it faces.
WHAT ARE THEY?
E-books are simply text versions of books that can be found online. E-books are usually published in print first but there are E-book companies where the first edition of the text is seen online before it is put into hard copy. In addition there are many classics that are now appearing in E-book form. E-books are gaining popularity for several reasons. When one has a report due for school and does not have time to get to the library, one has the option in some cases of locating the full text of the book in question online (Ciolli, 2001). If the book is already checked out of the library the student can locate what they need online and not have to wait for the book to be returned. In addition there are many people in the world who are caught up in the fast paced lifestyle that modern times demand. If they are to do any reading at all it is going to be in snatched segments during the work day or on the lap top. E-books provide a valuable resource for many but the debate continues as to their purpose and worth.
At a University of Virginia Web site, more than 3 million copies of e-books, including many written by literary all-stars such as...
It is the only place - digital or dead tree - to find transcripts of the Salem Witchcraft Trials, which have been out of print for 30 years (Ciolli, 2001). "
Our experience shows that people find the technology persuasive. There can be no doubt now about the demand," said David Seaman, director of the electronic text center at the University of Virginia library (Ciolli, 2001).
The University of Virginia was the first college to allow the download of E-books. Until then there was a heated disagreement in the academic world. Some thought the use of E-books was similar to using cheat cheats, while others argued that it was no different than carrying a copy of the book around (Ciolli, 2001).
E-books have grown in popularity and demand since they first began to appear almost a decade ago. With hundreds of sites downloading thousands of texts it is becoming less necessary to go to the library and bookstores than ever before. The ease with which a book can be located and searched for material is increasing each year. There is no question as to the popular use of E-books across the nation. By the end of 2000 the University of Virginia's web site was averaging almost 10,000 downloads each day.
The small number of e-books in circulation still doesn't stack up anywhere near the 2 billion plus copies of print books sold every year. However, e-book proponents argue that it is still an impressive number considering that only 1% of all personal computers, laptops and digital notebooks are equipped with software that would make it possible to read e-books. Soon most new computing devices will come with such reading software already loaded (Ciolli, 2001)."
Currently there are several companies trying to come up with ways to make the use of e-books even easier. Microsoft Tablet which is due to be released later this year, will allow the download of e-books on a portable use device. It will also send email and play…
