The mobile applications have touched the every aspects of human life ranging from small little chores to official works. Likewise, it has also touched one of the most basic steps towards a better field- Education. Education has been the cradle of every civilization and mobile phone applications have a number of ebook apps to cater to the need of reading.
If defined for a layman, we can say that an eBook is an electronic version of a traditional print book. It can be read by using a personal computer or by using an eBook reader which is a software application, such as Microsoft’s free Reader application, or a book-sized computer that is used exclusively as a reading device. Users can purchase the eBook software CD, or can download it from internet from a reliable Web site. Generally, an eBook is a very simple and easy to download software that can be downloaded in five minutes or less.
Some eBooks can be downloaded for free or at reduced cost, however, prices for many eBooks – especially bestsellers – are similar to those of hardcover books, and are sometimes higher.
Although, using a reader application or device in order to read an ebook is not necessary, as most of the ebook can be read as PDF files as well. Still readers are popular because they enable options similar to those of a paper book like bookmark pages, make notes, highlight passages, and save selected text. Built-in dictionaries are also included in eBook readers with alterable font sizes and styles that help in reading on line books, articles, journals, and the newspaper on daily basis according to mood and user suitability.
An eBook reader doesn’t weigh much as well.
They are of twenty-two ounces to three or four pounds with a storage capacity of four thousand to over half a million pages of text and graphics. A back-lit screen which makes reading in the dark possible is also a popular feature of an ebook reader.
e-book application for an iPad reader is known as iBooks. These applications are developed with the actual screen size in mind so that the part view is simplified for the users. Many other technical intricacies for improving readability are incorporated, including fine-tuning, brightness, text specifications, font, and background light. The background light can be dimmed in line with the user’s preference and this is especially great for reading after dark because nocturnal reading will become excruciating if our screen is just too bright.
eBooks, with very limited interactivity, first appeared on devices such as the Kindle. In those ebooks, only few facilities were there like flip the pages, search for content, or highlight words to see a dictionary definition. Those devices also had function to increase or decrease the font size as per the reader so that they enjoy the books enormously. This also supported the readers with limited reading capability and gave the publishers an unforeseen benefit of regaining a large population of readers who couldn’t read printed books.
Then Enhanced eBooks (ePUB3), a new digital publication standard hit the market. It allows easy integration of video and audio, enhancing the level of interactivity than that of an ordinary ebook. This format is exceptional and anticipated to advance the future of the printable textbooks and various other educational materials. With the advancement in technologies, we can predict that in future we will be having textbooks that might be able to “read themselves” with audio narration, perhaps preventing students from actually reading. The new format text books will also make it possible to make and share annotations without destroying the book, interactive self-tests throughout the chapters, and generally a much more enjoyable learning experience.
