E-books: why it's time to go digital

Modern living has been defined by increased convenience. As consumers, we demand ever more advanced, more comprehensive solutions. However, some old technologies have persisted for lack of a more efficient modern option - think the internal combustion engine, or the book.

Like the internal combustion engine, books are hard on the environment, inefficient, and outdated. And, like the hybrid engine's improvements on the internal combustion engine, e-book readers have finally provided a viable alternative to paper books.

While the e-book sector is still very much in its infancy, new products like the Elonex e-book give readers a whole host of new ways to enjoy reading their favourite books. There are many benefits to using e-books, but above all, e-books are environmentally friendly.

“The use of e-book readers is low impact because unlike printed books, almost no natural resources are used in their production,” says Anton Vukic, Channel Director at Phoenix Software. “The Elonex e-book reader, for example, carries the US Green Tick Certification to demonstrate that it is both an eco-friendly product and that environmental issues have been taken into account at every step of the design stage. The e-book reader is also RoHS certified to show that absolutely no hazardous materials are used in its manufacture.”

The e-book reader is as considerate to its readers as it is to the environment. E-book readers are not only easy to use, but easy on the eye. With features allowing users to change the font size and rotate the screen, these devices are perfect for people who struggle with their eyesight. And since e-book Web sites can include the ability to translate books into many different languages, many works are now available to speakers of languages not covered by printed translations.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of e-books over their printed siblings is convenience. With over two million free books available for download, it is very simple and easy to purchase and download e-books. And in addition to providing a much larger variety of books than found in traditional bookstores, an e-book can be purchased, downloaded, and used immediately, whereas when one buys a book one has to go to a bookshop, or wait for a delivery. Also, in the space that a comparably sized print book takes up, an e-reader can potentially contain thousands of e-books, limited only by its memory capacity.

Other reasons e-book readers trump printed books:

* E-books can show links for easy access to more information and related Web sites.

* E-books are searchable. You can easily search a term, phrase or subject in an e-book, instead of turning page after page.

* E-books can be interactive and contain audio, video and animations.

“Using a portable e-book reader means that you don't have to amass heavy piles of books, but you still have access to an immense collection of books,” says Vukic. “By getting yourself a portable e-book device you can read e-books wherever and whenever you want to.”

The Elonex e-book reader is available in selected CNA stores.