Where would we be without books? From action filled adventure novels, to your boring but useful Math textbook, books have become an important part of everyday life. In an age where technology is rapidly integrating itself into our everyday lives, it’s no wonder that even books became digitized to match our fast paced, and technology heavy lifestyles. In 2007 the website Amazon released the first e-reader, the Amazon Kindle.(Wagner) The Amazon Kindle used a special kind of display technology called “electronic paper”, which gives the screen a paper-like appearance. The Kindle did not use the usual LCD screen, instead they used a special kind of electronic paper. With electronic paper "...no backlight is used; rather, ambient light from the environment is reflected from the surface of the display back to your eyes...This attribute mimics traditional ink and paper, and users of E Ink displays have said that they do not have the same eye fatigue as with LCDs..."(Unknown) Which means that having a paper-like appearance caused less strain on the eyes, and that overall it felt more natural than reading on a traditional computer or tablet screen. The Amazon Kindle was incredibly successful, selling out completely in just the first 5 hours that it was released.(Patel) Following the success of the Kindle other companies to release their own e-readers, one of the most popular being the Barnes & Noble Nook which was released in 2009. The Nook also used the same electronic paper display.(Lozlowski) The Nook had 2GB of internal memory(almost 1500 books)(Carnoy) while the Kindle held 250MB, while both had wireless capabilities.(engadget) As of 2014, both companies are still releasing updated versions of both the Kindle and Nook. With better displays, enormous storage (both of the latest versions boast 8-16GB of storage, almost 3500 books!), and a wide array of books available for download, it is no wonder that the e-reader is still so popular.(Ken) In 2014, a study was done that showed the popularity of the e-reader is steadily rising. Of the people who had read at least one book in the previous year “Almost half (47%) of those under 30 read an e-book in 2013, as did 42% of those ages 30-49. E-reading also rose among readers ages 50-64, from 23% in November 2012 to 35%...”(Rainie et. al.) E-readers are also beating out other devices that can be used, like the tablet, PC and cellphone, with people preferring e-readers 57% of the time in 2014. It seems that e-readers are here to stay, and are becoming a new and alternative way for many people to enjoy reading.
The impact the e-reader has had in the 21st century has been huge. For the first time, you are able to read your favorite books anywhere, anytime, on a portable device that looks just like paper. You don’t have to stare at a brightly lit LCD screen and experience the uncomfortable strain on your eyes anymore, and yes, you can even read in the dark. Both the Nook and Kindle released versions that came with a soft “glow light”, which provided a way to read in the dark without using the typical PC backlight and which you can turn on and off. But it isn't just the comfortable viewing that makes the e-readers such an important device in the 21st century, it’s the library available to you. Depending on the device you buy, each has a shop set up directly on your device where you can download books immediately and begin reading in just seconds. You don’t always have to buy from their shops either. Almost any book you find online and can download, you can load onto your device which means the amount of books available to you is almost endless. Not to mention cheaper! On average, e-books are much cheaper than a physical book you would buy in store, and most devices even have a large number of free books available.(McMaken) E-readers have also made their way into schools, allowing for college textbooks to be bought at a cheaper price. E-readers have also influenced other kinds of technologies to include access to e-books. Tablets, smartphones, and PC’s now come with e-reader applications. It also seems that e-readers have caused a spike, albeit a small one, in the number of books that people read. In a study done by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in 2012, they found that “The average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer.” Which hopefully means that in the future, the numbers will rise even more. E-readers are growing in popularity, and are providing many people with access to cheaper books, as well as a giving them more opportunities to find books they love.
The impact the e-reader has had in the 21st century has been huge. For the first time, you are able to read your favorite books anywhere, anytime, on a portable device that looks just like paper. You don’t have to stare at a brightly lit LCD screen and experience the uncomfortable strain on your eyes anymore, and yes, you can even read in the dark. Both the Nook and Kindle released versions that came with a soft “glow light”, which provided a way to read in the dark without using the typical PC backlight and which you can turn on and off. But it isn't just the comfortable viewing that makes the e-readers such an important device in the 21st century, it’s the library available to you. Depending on the device you buy, each has a shop set up directly on your device where you can download books immediately and begin reading in just seconds. You don’t always have to buy from their shops either. Almost any book you find online and can download, you can load onto your device which means the amount of books available to you is almost endless. Not to mention cheaper! On average, e-books are much cheaper than a physical book you would buy in store, and most devices even have a large number of free books available.(McMaken) E-readers have also made their way into schools, allowing for college textbooks to be bought at a cheaper price. E-readers have also influenced other kinds of technologies to include access to e-books. Tablets, smartphones, and PC’s now come with e-reader applications. It also seems that e-readers have caused a spike, albeit a small one, in the number of books that people read. In a study done by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in 2012, they found that “The average reader of e-books says she has read 24 books (the mean number) in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer.” Which hopefully means that in the future, the numbers will rise even more. E-readers are growing in popularity, and are providing many people with access to cheaper books, as well as a giving them more opportunities to find books they love.
Works Cited
Wagner, Kyle. "The History of Amazon's Kindle So Far." Gizmodo. 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://gizmodo.com/5844662/the-history-of-amazons-kindle-so-far/>.
Uknown. "Ink Technology." E Ink: Technology: Electrophoretic Techology. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.eink.com/technology.html>.
Patel, Nilay. "Kindle Sells out in 5.5 Hours." Engadget. 21 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/kindle-sells-out-in-two-days/>.
Kozlowski, Michael. "The History of the Barnes and Noble Nook and EBook Ecosystem."Good EReader EBook and Digital Publishing News RSS. 14 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/the-history-of-the-barnes-and-noble-nook-and-ebook-ecosystem>.
Carnoy, David. "Barnes & Noble Nook (first Generation) Review - CNET." CNET. 24 June 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cnet.com/products/barnes-noble-nook-first-generation/>.
Uknown. "Amazon Kindle 1st-gen Specs - Engadget." Engadget. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.engadget.com/products/amazon/kindle/1st-gen/specs/>.
Ken. "Compare Kindle Fire HD vs NOOK HD 7″ Tablet." Best EReader Reviews RSS. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://bestereaderreview.org/kindle-fire-hd-vs-nook-hd-7-tablet-comparison>.
McMaken, Linda. "E-Books Vs. Print Books." Investopedia. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0812/e-books-vs.-print-books.aspx>.
Wagner, Kyle. "The History of Amazon's Kindle So Far." Gizmodo. 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://gizmodo.com/5844662/the-history-of-amazons-kindle-so-far/>.
Uknown. "Ink Technology." E Ink: Technology: Electrophoretic Techology. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.eink.com/technology.html>.
Patel, Nilay. "Kindle Sells out in 5.5 Hours." Engadget. 21 Nov. 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/21/kindle-sells-out-in-two-days/>.
Kozlowski, Michael. "The History of the Barnes and Noble Nook and EBook Ecosystem."Good EReader EBook and Digital Publishing News RSS. 14 Oct. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/the-history-of-the-barnes-and-noble-nook-and-ebook-ecosystem>.
Carnoy, David. "Barnes & Noble Nook (first Generation) Review - CNET." CNET. 24 June 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cnet.com/products/barnes-noble-nook-first-generation/>.
Uknown. "Amazon Kindle 1st-gen Specs - Engadget." Engadget. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. <http://www.engadget.com/products/amazon/kindle/1st-gen/specs/>.
Ken. "Compare Kindle Fire HD vs NOOK HD 7″ Tablet." Best EReader Reviews RSS. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://bestereaderreview.org/kindle-fire-hd-vs-nook-hd-7-tablet-comparison>.
McMaken, Linda. "E-Books Vs. Print Books." Investopedia. 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. <http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0812/e-books-vs.-print-books.aspx>.