Finally, a new tech product has emerged that's exciting for people other than those who work in computer repairs! For those book lovers out there who want to store their book collection in a more compact way, or be able to have them with you at all time, the invention of the eBook reader has revolutionised the way we look at reading. For those of you who don't know, an eBook reader is a device whereby digital copies of books (eBooks) can be purchased, downloaded and read on a small, paperback-sized device with e-ink technology. Think of it in terms of an iPod for books--you can purchase eBooks online and store a large number of them on your device, available to read at any opportunity. eBook readers are set to be a gift phenomenon this Christmas and beyond, so get in line quick because you should have one too. Here's why:
Environment
It's no secret that the environment is in grave peril at the moment as a result of the way in which humans have been overtaxing our resources. The amount of paper used to publish books around the world is astronomical, with the book industry in the US using over 1.5 million metric tonnes of paper each year. This translates directly into the cutting down of our world's forests and can be drastically reduced by this nifty little eBook reader. By publishing digitally instead of on paper, the publishing industry can make a huge reduction in its ecological footprint--but only if consumers take hold!
Space
I don't know about you, but as an avid book reader and collector, my books had begun to take over my living space. It's one thing to be fond of collecting books and even to like the way a bookcase (or several) looks in your apartment, but at the end of the day space is an increasingly rare commodity in our cities and the ability to reduce walls and walls of clutter to one small device is something that we all should be looking into!
Traveling
Traveling always presents the problem of which books to take away with you and how many you should plan on reading. For me, I like nothing better than passing travel time with a book, or kicking back on a beach somewhere engrossed in my latest tome. This is problematic for a number of reasons. For example, if I take a book that turns out to be a dud (as some do) I am stuck without another option, especially if I am far from a bookshop or in a country with a foreign language. Another problem is the space books take up in luggage--if I want options to last me the whole trip I have to do some serious luggage reconsideration and I end up in that age-old battle of whether I can squeeze the hardback I've been waiting to read or settle for a lightweight paperback by an author I don't know. With an eBook reading device you can take literally hundreds of books away with you, with many devices being lighter than a paperback!
With easy-to-use, intuitive technology (no need to call computer support simply to turn the thing on!) and a rapidly decreasing price tag, now is the time to get your hot little hands on an eBook reading device.
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