Sign in or 
Welcome! This is a website that everyone can build together. It's easy!
Share this
Why Buy eBooks? Home
Why Buy eBooks? ![[Untitled]](http://image.wetpaint.com/image/1/fE0Dem4jrgc9Fl_xs-bEfA23862/GW412H163 "[Untitled]") The future is here. The eBook revolution is taking the world by storm as eBook and eBook reader sales soar. A common misconception about eBooks is that they are for a niche consumer group or the technologically savvy. That may have been true at first when eBook readers were expensive novelty devices costing upwards of $400 or more and the available eBook selection was a small sliver of what it is today, but in recent years and this year in particular, eBooks have come a long way in approaching the mainstream. Amazon's eBook sales this year have shot through the roof compared to previous years even coming close to beating conventional books. eBook readers have gone down significantly in price, many being barely over $100. eBook libraries have provided consumers with cheaper methods for acquiring literature. This is possibly due to the growing popularity and competition in the market, which benefits all eBook readers giving them both cheaper devices and greater selection and customization. For unlimited lifetime access to 30,000+ of the most popular eBook titles, click here! One of the greatest appeals of eBooks is that you can carry your entire eBook library with you wherever you go. Today alone, I had to wait two hours at an auto repair shop front desk. It was reasonably comfortable with free drinks and various magazines, but I would have gone insane had I not brought my eBook reader. There are thousands of ways an eBook reader can turn a tedious necessity into a pleasant reading break. For those who use public transportation regularly, eBooks are perfect to pass the time during the daily routine. Airports, long flights, doctor's appointment waits, long lines, lunch breaks, being on hold, commercial breaks, and train stations are just a few of the times and places where eBooks can be enjoyed.  Admittedly, there is a certain undeniable charm about holding a real paper book in your hands, especially when it is a cherished book that you've grown to love. Real books have more character and a sense of authenticity. I am not going to deny the appeal of having a full bookshelf full of the favorites that you've collected over the years over an eBook library that fits in the palm of your hand. Yet the same could be said about old record collections; MP3's can never replace the feeling of buying your first album with expressive cover art and lyric book, but in this day and age, there are times to appreciate works of art in their truest forms, and there are times when records are simply not an option. Even CD's are becoming inconvenient when their MP3 counterparts can fit endless music in your pocket. The same revolution is occurring with eBooks as the demand for convenience and technology continues to increase.As this demand increases, the major eBook reader distributors strive to be the top dog releasing new innovations as rapidly as possible. With the recent change from TXT format to PDF, a whole new realm of possibilities is opened for the eBook. PDF allows a whole slew of potential new features to any eBook ranging from the ability to add clickable hyperlinks, embedded audio, embedded animations, and embedded video. It also allows you to take your own notes on any page without permanently altering the original material. Most eBook devices use eInk technology, which uses relatively low amounts of power. They are also typically glare resistant.  Newer eBooks include interactive options for children such as adventure stories and hands-on classroom tools. Recently, multilingual support has been added to some eBook readers, which allows users to read books in multiple languages. As more time passes and the revolution fully hits the market, more and more features will be released to make eBooks more accessible and convenient for everyone. Many people think that eBooks will be the primary medium in which books are sold within the next decade and I am inclined to agree with them. In the current economic climate, eBooks are destined to succeed. People have less and less money to throw around and shoppers are religiously trying to cut costs even when it comes to novelty entertainment devices. Millions of eBooks are available for free and countless more are affordable on any budget. Many books come in desirable bundles and others are just plain dirt cheap. Notable best sellers right now are selling for under $2 and it is rare to see an eBook at equal or greater cost than its paper equivalent. That's not to say it never happens, but it is unusual. Most eBooks are at least a few dollars cheaper than their paper counterparts making it a cost-effective long term alternative to what most of us are used to. There has been some skepticism lately regarding the apparent exaggerated claims of proponents of eBooks as an environmentally friendly alternative to standard paper books, but as eBooks evolve and become more commonplace we are forced to acknowledge the sheer scale of paper product manufacturing. The most common and obvious point is that millions and millions of trees are chopped down each year to supplement the book industry, but that only touches the tip of the iceberg. The only resource consumed by eBook readers is electricity, which in great quantities affects the environment negatively, but what about electricity used to manufacture books. Books need to be printed on paper, usually in large printing operations. This consumes electricity and needs to be transported which obviously negatively affects the environment on a large scale. Additionally, he paper itself needs to be produced, which again consumes electricity and needs to be transported. Together, these factors outweigh the negative affects of eReader electricity consumption several times over. Also, bookstores almost always have significantly more books than they can sell resulting in more waste, and more shipping. Unless paper books are continually resold as used books, they will most likely eventually end up in a landfill. All in all, paper book manufacturing consumes more resources and produces several times more greenhouse emissions than all processes involving publishing, distributing, and reading eBooks combined.The inevitability of the rise of the eBook and the countless potential advantages of using this new form of media are topics that could be discussed endlessly. eBooks are a more convenient, more accessible, more cost-effective, and more environmentally friendly alternative to paper books and though they can never completely replace the value of the hand-held paper book, they will quickly overtake their cherished ancestor in the mainstream sooner rather than later. In essence, it is a good time to be a reader. |
|
SMangini |
Latest page update: made by SMangini
, Jun 3 2011, 1:52 AM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by SMangini
view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
None
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
