Curl Up With A Good eBook

I sat, squished into the auditorium which was so packed we most certainly were violating fire codes. I leaned forward and listened intently to an older gentleman speaking on what to expect in business in the future. What kind of "toys" are going to come out that will make workers more plugged in to their jobs. He spoke about digital phone technology that would bring us wireless web access, personal electronic organizers that will verbally remind you of appointments, and, something that is sure to impact students across the nation... eBooks.

Conducting a survey for netLibrary, Yankelovich Partners wanted to see how well received eBooks will be in the future. They interviewed 528 business travelers at six major U.S. airports. "54% said they leave books behind when traveling, 70% agreed that electronic access to books will grow increasingly important in the future, and 75% agreed that eBooks will provide faster information access compared to paper books."

Ebooks aren't a new idea, they just never caught on before the "Information Age". The eBook has evolved to allow the reader to use it the same way they would use a paper book, it also boasts several other advantages. To enjoy an eBook, you must connect to the internet and download electronic content. This content. Currently there are models available that offer either a monochrome or color screen. I mentioned earlier that there are greater advantages to doing things the electronic way. You can look up words that you might be unfamiliar with in the included dictionary, search text for specific words, write notes in the margins with a stylus, mark your place electronically, and highlight and underline text. With just one small unit you can carry anywhere from 10-100 titles with you. There are pictures too! And, as with most e-commerce, you can buy books 24 hours a day on the Internet with your credit card. There are also several works available on the Internet that are free because the copyright has expired.

As you can see, the applications for an eBook are endless. Not only can business travelers benefit by reducing their heavy paper loads, but students can save money on all those expensive textbooks. The days of sifting through stacks of used books at the campus store trying to find one that hasn't been highlighted with the rainbow will be a thing of the past. We'll be telling our children that when we were kids we had to carry 30 pounds of books on our backs while walking to school, uphill... There is even a library that provides business, reference, and technology books and targets students of virtually any age. This is great for the student working two jobs to get their degree or the distance learner who plugs in to the Net.

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