E-Readers: the future of reading or short-lived gadget? Isabel McMann & Hilla Wait Nov 2010

What is an e-Reader?  A device to display electronic texts in certain specific formats  Generally using ‘e-ink’ reflective rather than transmissive screen technology  May have wireless link to allow download/upload of texts direct from/to e-book shop or other sources  New Amazon Kindle model allows web browsing  May allow upload of files in pdf, txt or other formats, including sound and image formats (but not movies)  May have touch screen or navigation keys/keyboard  I-Pad is the exception

What formats do e-Readers support?  The Tower of e-Babel: WikiPedia lists 25 different formats for e-book publishing  Most readers support only a few  Most e-books only available in a few  Different formats support different features  EPUB (International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF )) may become standard

So  Your choice of e-reader determines: the range of content available to you the way that content is displayed the ways you can interact with that content (annotations etc)

Choices  Dedicated e-readers – Kindle, Sony etc.  Netbooks/laptops  PC’s  Smartphones  And now the iPad – and future tablets

FAQs  Can I search text?  Can I cut-and-paste?  Can I print?  Can I load pdf’s?  Can I download OU e-books?  Where can I buy e-books?  Where can I get free e-books?  I want an e-reader, but which one should I buy?

How to choose your e-reader  Budget  Purpose  Range of sources available  Dealbreakers Real page numbers Display preferences Formulae, graphs and diagrams Options for importing texts Ease of use Speed reading  Try out a Kindle or Sony at the RSL

Kindle 2 Sony Touch Ipad  Text loading Wireless (Amazon only), usb (Windows/Mac)  Screen 16 shades grey No backlight  Navigation Keys Keyboard NO PAGE NOs  Orientation Manual P or L  Zoom 6 sizes (not pdf’s),  Text-to-speech  Annotation Via keyboard, not pdf’s Formats Kindle (AZW)  Battery 7 days (current models) Charge via mains or usb  Weight/Screen Size 10.2 oz /6 inches  Text loading Usb only : from PC; uses Adobe Digital Editions  Screen 8 shades grey No backlight  Navigation Keys Touch screen Virtual keyboard ‘Real’ page nos.  Orientation Manual P or L  Zoom 5 sizes–not pdfs)  No text-to-speech  Annotation Via virtual keyboard or handwritten with stylus Any document  Formats EPUB, PDF, JPEG etc  Battery 7,500 page turns Charge via mains or usb  Weight/Screen Size oz./7.1 inches  Text loading Wi-fi download Transfer from PC Uses I-tunes  Screen Backlit IPS Colour  Navigation Touch screen Virtual keyboard ‘Real’ page nos.  Orientation Auto P or L  Zoom Includes PDFs  Text-to-speech  Annotation Touchscreen keyboard Separate notes app  Formats EPUB; Audible; Kindle; PDF etc.  Battery 11 hours Charge via mains  Weight/ SCreenSize 1.5 lbs./9.7 inches  /e-reader-comparison-chart/

Amazon Kindle 2 Sony Reader Touch [PRS-600] ROAD TEST AN E-READER!

Kindle 3  Read in bright sunlight  Improved, built-in PDF Reader  Free 3-G wireless  Support for non-Latin characters  Faster page-turning

Now lending e-readers at RSL  Ask at Enquiries  Details: readerswww.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/services/e- readers  Loan period 1 week  May be a waiting list!  E-Reader survey 

I-Pad: the best of both worlds? Stanza

How to get content for your e- reader  Buy through your supplier or bookseller Amazon, Apple I-Store; Waterstone's; WH Smith  Download from Bodleian Libraries via OxLIP+ Now: PDF journal articles; Oxford Scholarship On-Line chapters; Soon: EBL e-books; Oxford’s Google Collection  Read On-Line- IPad; PC or Laptop  Download free content

Downloads from Oxford Scholarship On-Line

Public libraries and e-books

Free content for E-readers  Project Gutenberg  Google Project  Internet Archive  Intute peer-reviewed  Other internet resources Not peer-reviewed Basic scanned older editions Not always legal in the UK  Sample chapters

Internet Archive

Finding a book in the IA

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Public libraries and e-books

Further information