“What is an e-book”
Alisa Rysaeva
Copyright 2012 "author"
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Chapter 1
What is an e-book?
An electronic book (variously, e-book, ebook, digital book, or even e-edition) is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. E-books are usually ordered online.
Generally, e-books have many features that traditional paper books do not:
- Search through the text for a specific word or phrase.
- Carry many e-books with you on your mobile device.
- Shrink or enlarge the text size.
- Add digital bookmarks and annotations.
- Get instant delivery.
- Help the environment by reducing paper use and shipping costs.
Chapter 2
E-book formats
Numerous e-book formats emerged and proliferated, some supported by major software companies such as Adobe with its PDF format, and others supported by independent and open-source programmers.
Here is a list of formats most commonly available commercially:
- AZW - An Amazon proprietary format. This is very close to the MOBI format sometimes with and sometimes without DRM. The DRM is unique to the Amazon Kindle.
- AZW1 - An Amazon proprietary format. It is the TPZ format always with a custom DRM.
- AZW4 - An Amazon proprietary format. It is the PDF format in a PDB wrapper, and usually (always?) with DRM.
- EPUB An open format defined by the Open eBook Forum of the International Digital Publishing Forum (). It is based on XHTML and XML. It is an evolving standard. Current specifications are found at the idpf web site. Adobe, Barnes & Noble and Apple all have their own (incompatible) DRM systems for this format. There is now a new version of this format called ePub 3 but it is not in wide use.
- KF8 - Kindle Fire format from Amazon. It is basically ePub compiled in the PDB wrapper with Amazon DRM. This format is expected to roll out for other Amazon readers.
- MOBI - MobiPocket format, usable with MobiPocket's own reading software on almost any PDA and Smartphones. Mobipocket's Windows PC software can convert .chm, .doc, .html, .ocf, .pdf, .rtf, and .txt files to this format. Kindle uses this format, as well.
- PDB - Palm Database File. Can hold several different e-book formats targeting Palm-enabled devices, commonly used for PalmDOC (AportisDoc) e-books and eReader formats as well and many others.
- PDF - Portable Document Format created by Adobe for their Acrobat products. It is the defacto standard for document interchange. Software support exists for almost every computer platform and handheld device. Some devices have problems with PDF since most content available is scaled for either A4 or letter format, both of which are not easily readable when reduced to fit on small screens. Some Readers can reflow some PDF documents, including the Sony PRS505, to accommodate the small screen. Some eBook readers, including the iRex iLiad, have a pan-and-zoom feature that aids readability, but extracts a price in ergonomics.
- PRC - Palm Resource File. Often holds a Mobipocket eBook but occasionally holds an eReader or AportisDoc eBook.
- TPZ - Topaz file extension used on Amazon Kindle. Topaz is a collection of glyphs arrange on pages, along with an unproofed OCR text version. An Amazon proprietary format, used to make older books available quickly, since conversion is essentially automatic from scans of the pages of a book, but it reflows very well.
More information about these and other formats is available here: https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_formats
Chapter 3
E-book readers
An e-book reader is a portable electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals. The main advantages of e-book readers are better readability of their screens especially in bright sunlight and longer battery life. This is achieved by using electronic paper technology to display content to readers (more info about electronic paper: https://mybebook.com/a5/epaper/article_info.html).
Popular eBook readers:
- Amazon Kindle (more about it in further chapters, starting with chapter 4): Kindle, Kindle Touch
- Barnes & Noble Nook: Nook 1st Edition, Nook Simple Touch, Nook Color, Nook Tablet
- Kobo: Kobo Glo, Kobo Touch, Kobo Mini, Kobo Arc
- Sony Reader
- PocketBook
Chapter 4
Amazon Kindle
The Kindle name as devised by branding consultant Michael Cronan who was asked by Lab 126 to name the product. Cronan and partner Karin Hibma suggested Kindle, meaning to light a fire. They felt this was an apt metaphor for reading and intellectual excitement.
Kindle hardware has evolved from the original Kindle introduced in 2007 and a Kindle DX line (with a larger screen) introduced in 2009. Announced in September 2011, the range now includes devices with keyboards (Kindle Keyboard), devices with touch sensitive screens (Kindle Touch), a tablet computer with a reader app and a color display (Kindle Fire) and a low-priced model with an on-screen keyboard (Kindle). More information about these devices in chapter 6 and chapter 7.
Amazon has also introduced Kindle software for use on various devices and platforms, including Microsoft Windows, iOS, BlackBerry, Mac OS X (10.5 or later, Intel processor only), Android, webOS, and Windows Phone (not available in many parts of Europe). Amazon also has a "cloud" reader to allow users to read, and purchase, Kindle books from a web browser.
Chapter 5
Kindle and Network
Kindle uses either Free 3G or Wi-Fi technology to wirelessly shop for and download Kindle content on the go. Books are delivered wirelessly, typically in less than 60 seconds. If your Kindle has Wi-Fi and 3G, you can choose the most convenient wireless connection.
While you're reading, and for many other activities, your Kindle does not need to connect to a wireless network. Other activities such as shopping in the Kindle Store and purchasing books do require a wireless connection.
Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you won't see a wireless bill. There is no wireless setup - you are ready to shop, purchase and read right out of the box.
Learn more about Free 3G and Wi-Fi: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200505540
Chapter 6
Amazon Kindle - The evolution of devices - E Ink.
The Amazon Kindle is a series of e-book readers produced by Amazon.com. Amazon Kindle enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media via wireless networking. The hardware platform, developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126, began as a single device and now comprises a range of devices – most using an E Ink electronic paper display capable of rendering 16 tones to simulate reading on paper while minimizing power consumption.
E Ink
First generation
- Kindle - released on November 19, 2007, for US$399. It is the only Kindle with expandable memory, via an SD card slot. The device features a 6 inch (diagonal) 4-level grayscale display, with 250 MB of internal memory, which can hold approximately 200 non-illustrated titles.
Amazon did not sell the Kindle First Generation outside the United States.
Second generation
- Kindle 2 released on February 23, 2009, for US$359. The Kindle 2 features a text-to-speech option to read the text aloud, and 2 GB of internal memory of which 1.4 GB is user-accessible. Kindle 2 can hold about 1500 non-illustrated books. Kindle 2 does not have a slot for SD memory cards. It was slimmer
than the original Kindle.
On November 24, 2009, Amazon released a firmware update for the Kindle 2 that it said increased battery life by 85% and introduces native PDF support.
Kindle 2 international version released on October 19, 2009, with the ability to download new titles in over 100 countries. The international Kindle 2 is physically very similar to the U.S.-only model, although it uses a different mobile network standard. The original Kindle 2 used CDMA2000, for use on the Sprint network. The international version used standard GSM and 3G GSM, enabling it to be used on AT&T's U.S. mobile network and internationally in 100 other countries.
- Kindle DX - announced on May 6, 2009. This device has a larger screen and supports simple PDF files. It was also the thinnest Kindle to date and offers an accelerometer, which enables the user to seamlessly rotate pages between landscape and portrait orientations when the Kindle DX is turned on its side. It is marketed as more suitable for displaying newspaper and textbook content. The device can connect only to Whispernet in the United States. It can be distinguished from the later International version by a serial number starting with "B004".
Since January 19, 2010, the Kindle DX International has shipped in 100 countries. The Kindle DX comes with a 9.7-inch E Ink screen. It has support for International 3G Wireless, and its serial number will start with "B005".
Third generation
- Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G - announced on July 28, 2010. The Kindle Keyboard is available in two versions. One of these, the Kindle Wi-Fi, was initially priced at US$139 / GB£111, and connects to the Internet exclusively via Wi-Fi networks. The other version, considered a replacement to the Kindle 2, was priced at US$189 / GB£152 and includes both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity. The built-in free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, allowing it to download and purchase content from any location with cell service. The Kindle Keyboard with 3G is available in two colors: classic white and graphite. Both models use the newer E ink "Pearl" display, which has a higher contrast than prior displays and a faster refresh rate. However, it remains slower than traditional LCDs.
The Kindle Keyboard uses a Freescale i. MX353 applications processor, Freescale MC13892 power management chip, Epson E INK controller and Samsung DRAM and flash. Other hardware changes include a larger 1,750 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, AnyDATA DTP-600W 3G GSM modem and Atheros AR6102G 802.11bg Wi-Fi chip.
The third-generation Kindle is 0.5 inches shorter and 0.5 inches narrower than the Kindle 2. It supports additional fonts and international Unicode characters, and has a Voice Guide feature with spoken menu navigation. Experimental features include a browser based on the popular WebKit rendering engine (but browser may be limited to 50MB of 3G per month to web sites other than Amazon and Wikipedia in territories outside of the United States), Text-to-Speech that can read aloud the text from books and other content, and an MP3 player. Internal memory is expanded to 4 GB, with approximately 3 GB available for user content. Battery life is advertised at up to two months of reading half an hour a day on a single charge with the wireless turned off, which amounts to roughly 30 hours.
Fourth generation
- Fourth-generation Kindle - announced on September 28, 2011, offering models with and without ad-support, retailing for $79 and $109 respectively. Retaining the 6 inch e-ink display of the previous Kindle model as well as Amazon's experimental web-browsing capability (when within Wi-fi range), the fourth generation Kindle features a slight reduction in weight and size as well as nine hard keys, a cursor pad, an on-screen rather than physical keyboard, a flash storage capacity of 2GB, and an estimated one month battery life.
- Kindle Touch Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi/3G - announced on September 28, 2011; available with Wi-Fi ($99 ad-supported, $139 no ads) or Wi-Fi/3G connectivity ($149 ad-supported, $189 no ads). Via 3G the device is able to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia. Experimental web browsing (outside of Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over Wi-Fi. The device uses the same 6-inch E-ink screen of the previous Kindle model, with the addition of an infrared touch-screen control. Like its predecessor, the Kindle Touch has a capacity of 4GB and battery life of two months.
Fifth generation
- Kindle - announced on September 6, 2012. It starts off at $69 for an ad-supported version and $89 ad-free version. The new Kindle has a black case, better contrast, and hand-tuned fonts. It is claimed to have 15% faster page loads. It has 167 PPI pixel density and is the lightest Kindle at 5.98 oz (170 g).
- Kindle Paperwhite was released on October 1, 2012. It has a 6", 212 ppi display (an almost-XGA resolution of 758×1024) with built-in light that is adjustable with an on-screen menu. It is available in Wi-Fi ($119 ad-supported, $139 no ads) and Wi-Fi + 3G ($179 ad-supported, $199 no ads) models. Battery life is advertised at up to 8 weeks of reading, half an hour per day with wireless off and constant light usage, which equals 28 hours. Instead of publishing the exact screen resolution of its E Ink display, Amazon only states "62% more pixels", leaving the iRiver Story HD (2011) with "63% more pixels" in their LG display (768×1024) still ahead in this point. The Kindle Paperwhite lacks physical buttons for page turning, selection of typefaces and auto-hyphenation.
Chapter 7
Amazon Kindle - the evolution of devices - LCD.
- Kindle Fire - Amazon announced an Android-based tablet with a color touch screen on September 28, 2011. It was released for $199 and has a 7-inch IPS display. This is the first Kindle without an E Ink display. The unit is capable of holding over 80 applications, plus either 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books. Its web browser is the Amazon Silk cloud-accelerated browser. However, unlike previously released Kindles, it has no 3G option, but only has Wi-Fi. The Kindle Fire also lacks a microphone, camera, and an SD card reader. It has 8GB of storage and a projected battery life of up to eight hours.
- The Kindle Fire HD is the second generation of Amazon's color touchscreen Kindle Fire tablet line announced on September 6, 2012. It is available in two form factors, 7 inch and 8.9 inch. The 7 inch version was released on September 14, while the 8.9 inch model was released on November 20, 2012. The 8.9 inch model will currently only be released in the United States. The Kindle Fire HD also has a built-in microphone, micro usb port, hdmi port, and headphone jack.
Chapter 8
Kindle applications
Amazon released a "Kindle for PC" application in late 2009, available as a free download for MS Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. This application allows thousands of books to be read on a personal computer in color, with no Kindle unit required, as e-books can simply be purchased from Amazon's store.
Amazon later released a version for the Apple Macintosh, in early 2010.
In June 2010, Amazon released a "Kindle for Android" version. With the Google Android application release, versions for the Apple iPhone, the iPad, Windows and Mac computers, and BlackBerry cellphones are also available.
In January 2011, Amazon released Kindle for Windows Phone 7.
In July 2011, Kindle for HP TouchPad (running under WebOS) was released in the US as beta.
In August 2011, Amazon released an HTML5 based webapp supporting the Chrome and Safari browsers called Kindle Cloud Reader.
As of June 2012, Amazon has expressed no interest in releasing a similar application for the GNU/Linux operating system.
Chapter 9
Kindle content.
Content from Amazon and some other content providers is primarily encoded in Amazon's proprietary Kindle format (AZW, KF8). It is also possible to load content in various formats from a computer by transferring it to the Kindle via a USB cable or by emailing it to a registered email address provided by Amazon (for a fee via 3G, or free via Wi-Fi); the email service can convert a number of document formats to Amazon's AZW format and then transmit the result to the associated Kindle over Whispernet. In addition to published content such as books
and periodicals, Kindle users can also access the Internet, free of charge, via either Wi-Fi or 3G.
The Kindle's terms of use forbid transferring Amazon e-books to another user or a different type of device. However, Amazon now allows limited lending of certain titles. Users can select reading material using the Kindle itself or through a computer at the Amazon Kindle store and can download content through the Kindle Store.
In addition to the Kindle store, paid content for the Kindle can be purchased from various independent sources such as Fictionwise, Mobipocket and Baen Ebooks. Public domain titles are also obtainable for the Kindle via content providers such as Project Gutenberg, The Internet Archive, Retroread and World Public Library. According to Sammy King, the Kindle store has more than twice as much paid content as its nearest competitor, Barnes and Noble.
The device is sold with electronic editions of its owner's manual; the U.S. version also includes the New Oxford American Dictionary and the UK version the Oxford Dictionary of English (not to be confused with the Oxford English Dictionary). Users can purchase different dictionaries from the Kindle store as specified in the included manual. The Kindle also contains several free experimental features including a basic web browser. Users can also play music from MP3 files in the background in the order they were added to the Kindle. Operating system updates are designed to be received wirelessly and installed automatically during a period in sleep mode in which wireless is turned on.
Chapter 10
Kindle publishing
Concurrently with the Kindle device, Amazon launched Kindle Direct Publishing, where authors and publishers independently publish their books directly to Kindle and Kindle Apps worldwide. In open beta testing as of late 2007, the platform has been promoted to established authors by an e-mail and by advertisements at Amazon.com. Authors can upload documents in several formats for delivery via Whispernet and charge between $0.99 and $200.00 per download.
More about Kindle Direct Publishing: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin