Have a question for Ask The Geek? Send it to me.

Dear Ask the Geek,

I have a question for the photo geek. What book or resource do you recommend to learn tips on using a DSLR? Want to increase my knowledge before my trip to Lucca this April.

Thanks,
Kristen

Dear Kristen,

this time I’m trying something a little different and I hope you’ll find it useful – I’m answering you in a quick video! Check out my answer regarding improving photography with some helpful tips about using your manual, books and sites you can read for tips, and setting some goals for improving your photography. I’ve also included some helpful links below the video (direct link to the video in case you don’t see it)

Books & gear I mentioned:

• The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby [Kindle ebook version]
• The Digital Photography Book - Volume 2 by Scott Kelby [Kindle ebook version]
• The Digital Photography Book - Volume 3 by Scott Kelby [Kindle ebook version]
• All 3 volumes of Scott Kelby’s The Digital Photography Books - [Kindle pack]
• More camera/video gear and photography booksI use or recommend - and more books that talk about composition and the more artistic side of photography

I also wrote a post about tips to improve your photography with any camera (not just a DSLR).

Other sites & blogs you should check out: (have a favorite site? leave it in the comments)

• Digital Photography School (they have a very active forum, too)
• Photofocus
• Phototuts+
• Jasmine Star Photography (especially for portraits / wedding)
• Strobist
• Joe McNally
• Stuck in Customs
• Nicolesy
• Mitchell Kanashkevich (he has a lot of ebooks, too)

Hope that helps,

Sara Rosso, aka WIHT’s in-house geek

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are to Amazon – I’m an Amazon affiliate and I will receive a small percentage if the product is purchased. 

Tara Hunt, @missrogue on Twitter, is a notable Canadian entrepreneur, founder of unconventional marketing company “Citizen Agency” and frequent keynote speaker talks to me about her new book.

SARA ROSSO: You’re the author of “The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business.” What is “Whuffie”?

TARA HUNT: Whuffie is a fun word coined by Cory Doctorow in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom that means social currency. In Cory’s book, he describes a future where there is no money, only Whuffie. One makes whuffie by being nice, networked and/or notable. You can ‘ping’ someone else’s whuffie, getting back a score. A high score means that you can probably trust that person and you may want to get to know him/her. When I read Cory’s book, I thought to myself, “Actually, this doesn’t sound any different from how we relate to one another in online communities.” We are constantly pinging one another’s whuffie.

SARA ROSSO: There are 5 key principles of the Whuffie Factor -

1. stop talking, start listening – focus on individuals and understand the needs of a community
2. become part of the community you serve
3. create amazing customer experiences
4. embrace the chaos – communities are made up of people, and people are not predictable
5. find your higher purpose – what can you give to the community, and still be profitable?

Which principle are you finding companies are having the hardest time with? What advice are you giving them to overcome this?

TARA HUNT: The principle most difficult for companies to gr0k is Embrace the Chaos. Giving up control of the message and opening oneself up to the vast opportunities presented in building relationships with one’s customer community is a risky thing to do. Of course, everything is a risk, even when tightly planned, so I help coach companies through taking baby steps towards embracing that chaos, pointing out the rewards along the way.

SARA ROSSO: Why do you think that companies should focus on “delighting and enchanting those people already part of your community” first? If there is no official existing community, how do companies start identifying who is part of the “community”?

TARA HUNT: If you delight your current customers, they will go out and tell their friends and contacts about their great experience. This word of mouth is still and always will be the most effective type of marketing. When people give their peers recommendations, it’s much more powerful than a pitch from a company. As far as identifying who is part of the customer community? The advice I give is to step back and figure out what problem are you solving/need are you filling? And then ask yourself, “who has those needs?” Those are the types of questions that will help you identify your customer community.

SARA ROSSO: In Italy BarCamps are very popular – you’ve been very involved in BarCamps from the start in California. What do you think has changed, for better or for worse, in the way BarCamps are organized and executed in these past 4 years? Any advice to share?

TARA HUNT: BarCamp is amazing because, I believe, it is morphing with the needs of the social geek community (who are the ones primarily driving the adoption of BarCamp). I think it is changing around the world. People are getting really creative with the idea of BarCamp, applying it to non-tech questions and industries and seeing really great results. This is bringing BarCamp to a wider audience, so I believe strongly it is for the better. Advice? Only that I think that BarCamp is an awesome model for getting the creative juices flowing. Apply it liberally!

SARA ROSSO: Are there any new and upcoming tools or sites you’re using that might interest the Girl Geeks in Italy?

TARA HUNT: I use an abundance of travel tools nowadays. I really love Tripit.com and Dopplr.com (want them to synch together, though). I’m really looking forward to seeing how Open Social unfolds as well to help me solve my social network management issues. Other than that, I’m loving various Twitter applications like Tweetie for my iPhone and Tweetdeck for my desktop. I think there is going to be more ideas and applications to emerge out of Twitter. It’s all in the beauty of their open API.

Thank you, Tara! Her book, “The Whuffie Factor” is now available on Amazon.com

Here’s a presentation of hers on Whuffie. There are 261 slides but they FLY!

• Part 1: Copyfight and Creative Commons
• Part 2: Ebooks, DRM and Universal Formats
• Part 3: The Future of Art in the Information Age

Here is the entire transcript of the interview in a text file – it took me hours to transcribe, it…so play nice.

Here’s the mp3 which is about 22 minutes long, which you can also download by saving here. But please note, it’s not the best quality recording.

http://www.google.com/reader/ui/3247397568-audio-player.swf?audioUrl=http://www.YOURDOMAIN.com/YOURMP3FILE.mp3

If you liked what Cory had to say, you might enjoy reading some of his recent articles:

• Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle, The Guardian
• The High Priests of IT — And the Heretics, Harvard Business Blog
• You shouldn’t have to sell your soul just to download some music, The Guardian
• Writing in the Age of Distraction – Locus Magazine
• drmfree tag for items on Amazon, BoingBoing.net

Or, check out his books which are made available FREE through a Creative Commons license: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States

• Novels, non-fiction books, and his stories
• I recommend “Content“  – a collection of “essays, speeches, and white-papers on subjects ranging from copyright to science fiction writing to DRM, Wikipedia to Facebook and Metadata.”

Image by hiddedevries

Part 1: What are ebooks? Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Books

• What are eBooks?
• Why aren’t eBooks more popular? Tactile Loss and the eBabel problem
• ebooks are Great! Here’s Why

Part 2: How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and Applications

• eBook Formats
• How to Read an eBook: Devices and dedicated eBook readers
• Applications to read eBooks on the iPhone / iTouch

Part 3: Where to Buy and Find Free Ebooks, and Learning Resources

• Where to Find and Buy Ebooks
• Where to Find Free Ebooks
• Learning Resources

Where to Find and Buy Ebooks

Intersted in finding popular, rare and current books? You have a lot of choice, and it’s growing every day. For more information on each of these formats, make sure you read How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and Applications

• Fictionwise.com – Secure Mobipocket, eReader, PDF formats. Multiformat books, which are usually non-DRM books. A list of supported formats and devices. Note: Fictionwise was bought by Barnes & Noble in March 2009.
  • eReader.com – eReader is actually powered by Fictionwise and is a separate site carrying only eReader /.pdb files.
• Barnes & Noble – they bought Fictionwise (above) but books are also available through bn.com – eReader/.pdb files.
• Books on Board.com – a mixture of EPUB, Mobipocket and eReader formats. Check Books on Board supported formats.
• Diesel ebooks – Adobe, Mobipocket, eReader, Microsoft formats.
• Mobipocket.com – Mobipocket format (owned by Amazon).
• Amazon.com Kindle Store (Kindle format only)
• eBook Store from Sony (Sony format) – Sony is also teaming up with Google to offer a half million of public domain books for the Sony Reader.
• www.ebooks.com – Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Adobe Digital Editions (secure EPUB) formats – they have a handy Reader comparison table.
• eHarlequin eBooks (U.S.) and Mills & Boon (UK) – only romance, but someone to watch since they are often cutting-edge with free book offerings, embracing technology and experimenting in the “e” category.
• Penguin – eBooks (U.S.) and Penguin eBooks UK – in the UK they are supporting the secure EPUB format, while in the US eBooks are available in Microsoft Reader, Adobe secure PDF and secure eReader.
• WHSmith eBookShop (UK) – books in secure Adobe EPUB, secure Adobe PDF, secure Mobipocket, secure Microsoft Reader.
• Waterstones (UK) – for Sony Readers, utilizes secure Adobe Digital Editons (EPUB).
• Wizz-e.com is a site that focuses on electronic books for children.
• EPubBooks.com – a list of places to find EPUB format books.
• O’Reilly eBooks – the classic technology publisher embraces eBooks and offers DRM-free(!!) bundles of their books in three formats (EPUB, Kindle Mobipocket and PDF) so you’ll have some mobility amongst your devices.

Where to Find Free Ebooks

There are several places to find free books which can be downloaded in various formats and converted if necessary. Many of them will be “the classics” – books that are in public domain, but converted and released in different formats.

• Project Gutenberg mentioned above is a great site with more than 27,000 books available in the public domain. Classics from Austen, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, even the Kama Sutra!
• ManyBooks.net – 23,000+ books, and they’re all free! Multiple formats available for download.
• FeedBooks.com – more free books, compatible with most mobile devices and Kindle / Sony / iPhone, it supports the EPUB format.
• Google Book Search – use “Advanced Book Search” and select “Full view only” for some creative commons / public domain books.
• Free Kindle format books – a great list of free Kindle format books from Kindle 2, Kindle Books Reader 2.0 – Amazon Kindle 2 Review
• Kindle Formatting is offering a few free books during Read an Ebook Week.
• Suvudu – a new science fiction portal Suvudu from Random House which has monthly free books to download. You can sign up for their newsletter to get notified when new titles are available.
• Girlebook.com – “free ebooks by the gals” -  classics and titles by lesser-known female authors, all free.
• F+W Media offers some free ebooks to those that sign up for their newsletter.

Learning Resources

Still want to know more about eBooks? Here are some resources to continue your quest. Send me your questions as well via my Contact Page.

• TeleRead.org – a blog all about eBook news and eBook readers
• Three Open Source E-book Readers Worth a Look from OStatic
• A very useful E-book Reader matrix from MobileRead
• ePub Resources and Guides – O’Reilly Labs
• Dear Author.com – a blog mainly about romance books, but check their ebook technology category for some very informative posts including device comparisons and some hot eBook topics. After all, romance readers are one of the most powerful reading markets – we read a lot, we buy a lot, and we are pushing the eBook market to get their act together. Some posts to jump straight to: Dear Author’s 2nd Annual Buying Guide, Parts 1 and 2 – How to borrow eBooks from your local library using the Sony Reader, and 2008 eInk Readers
• How to Choose an Ebook Reader from Wired.com
• International Digital Publishing Forum – proponents of the EPUB format, statistics and news regarding the eBook market.
• MobileRead – information for reading digital content on your mobile/cellular phone, but lots of crossover with the format wars in general.
• Read an E-Book Week – March 8-14, 2009.
• Read Write Web ebooks category

What doubts or questions do you have regarding electronic books? Leave them in the comments, or send it to me via Ask the Geek.

Image from gi

NOTE: Some devices and ebook stores will have geographical limitations or will not be available in all areas. Please read each site’s terms and conditions before making your purchase.

The second part in the series A Guide to Ebooks series for Read an Ebook Week.

Part 1: What are ebooks? Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Books

• What are ebooks?
• Why aren’t ebooks more popular? Tactile Loss and the eBabel problem
• ebooks are Great! Here’s Why

Part 2: How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and iPhone Applications

• Ebook Formats
• How to Read an Ebook: Devices and Dedicated Ebook Readers
• Upcoming Ebook Reader Devices
  
• Applications to Read Ebooks on the iPhone / iTouch

Part 3: Where to Buy and Find Free Ebooks, and Learning Resources

• Where to Find and Buy Ebooks
• Where to Find Free Ebooks
• Learning Resources

Ebook Formats

As mentioned in part 1 of the Guide to Ebooks, since there is no universal ebook format and 25 formats and counting, there are many ebook formats that compete with each other. Some are formats created specifically for ebooks and others like text and HTML are formats that can be adapted to on-screen reading.

Note that when considering each of these formats there are at least two versions of each format: a “secure” version that has some kind of DRM (Digital Rights Management) attached to it and a non-DRM version, i.e., Adobe Secure/DRM PDF, secure EPUB, etc.

Note: As of now, almost all commercially-released books are released in secure versions of ebook formats with DRM or security attached. When reading further about readers and devices that support non-DRM file formats, remember that most of this non-DRM content is either documents/ebooks you create yourself or with non-DRM versions available online (like Shakespeare), etc., and not most commercial books. Hopefully this will change.

There are also many software that will convert files into different file formats for reading on dedicated readers from Sony/Amazon, etc., but often they assume you are starting with or require the use of a non-DRM file (i.e., converting a non-DRM Adobe PDF into Mobipocket or eReader).

Here are some popular eBook file formats – in part 3 of the Guide to Ebooks I’ll tell you where you to buy them:

• EPUB / .epub – This is the proposed “universal” format from the IDPF that is having trouble taking hold with dedicated readers and mass-market book retailers. In 2009, Sony started supporting EPUB and discontinued its own DRM format. Some retailers have started offering books in secure EPUB, but it is not widespread. www.epubbooks.com is a great directory of where you can purchase or download EPUB offerings.
• Adobe eBook (EPUB) – Adobe eBook EPUB files are often synonymous with Adobe Digital Editions which is actually a software offered by Adobe that is used to read EPUB files. DRM is almost always involved. The format is readable on several different ereader devices, including the Nook and several iPhone applications. Google adopted Adobe EPUB in Dec. 2010 for its eBook store.
• PDF / .pdf – Adobe’s format “portable document format”, available in both secure and non-secure formats, is widely available and readable on several types of devices, but users report some problems formatting and re-sizing text as documents are created with “pages” that are pre-set and therefore more difficult to re-flow for different screen sizes.
• eReader / .pdb – Originally developed by Palm, eReader software is available for a ton of devices including the iPhone/iTouch. eReader/Fictionwise was bought by Barnes&Noble in 2009, and the eReader format is the basis of the books that are delivered to the B&N Nook.
• Mobipocket / .prc/.mobi – another proprietary format, and is now owned by Amazon, life has become even more confusing in that Mobipocket-DRM’d files do not work with Amazon’s Kindle (*remember my note about most popular books are released with DRM). Mobipocket is available to be read on several devices.
• Microsoft Reader / .lit – Microsoft’s ebook format which is readable on several types of devices. This format seems more or less dead in the water.
• Device-specific formats:
  • Kindle / .azw is based on Mobipocket technology. Since March 2009 Kindle books can also be read on the iPhone (below) and in November 2009, you can read Kindle books on your PC, too. Both options are available without having to actually buy a Kindle.
  • Sony Reader / .lrx/.lrf (BBeB Book) format works as imaginable, with Sony Readers. (see note above in EPUB re: Sony format)
• Non-Commercial Formats:
  • Text / .txt : no special formatting available, these files are plain text with line breaks. Some use CAPS or special characters (**) to help with readability.
  • Rich Text / .rtf : more formatting available than plain text.
  • HTML / .html : can be read in web-browsers, and some special formatting can be used. The concept of pages is not easily embedded or utilized with HTML ebook files.
  • Others: Windows Word Document .doc, JPG Image .jpg, Portable Network Graphics / .png, Bitmap / .bmp

How to Read an Ebook: Devices and Dedicated Ebook Readers

Ebooks are small files since they are mostly text (for now) and therefore you can have hundreds and hundreds of books and not make a dent in your hard drive space. Most files range from 200KB to 1MB or so, which is small considering many mp3 files are from 5-10MB. I have more than 200 books that are the disk space equivalent of 12 mp3 songs (less than a single music album!)

Reading eBooks on devices falls into three main categories: computers, multifunction/Smartphones, and dedicated readers.

• Your Computer. A simple solution since almost all ebook formats have software that is installable on Windows and Mac operating systems. While you might hate the idea of sitting at your computer for hours reading, it may work to sneak in a few pages here and there, or if you’ve got an ultraportable computer or netbook, it may even be comfortable.
• Multifunction/Smartphone: this group is perhaps the most interesting because chances are you already have one of these devices in your possession and it will take you very little to be set up to read eBooks. Blackberry, Treo, iPhone (and iPod Touch) are all examples of Smartphones. Many of the major formats listed above have ways to read content from your smartphone.
• Dedicated E-book readers: There are a lot of e-Book devices out on the marketplace now. The feature that characterizes these devices is that most of them are utilize E Ink technology, which is a non-backlit electronic display that simulates text printed on paper – here are a few of the most well-known:
  • Apple iPad – while not technically an ebook reader (it does so much more!) it is often cited as an ebook reader (it’s how I am currently reading my ebooks) and most iPhone apps to read ebooks (see the list below) also work on the iPad.
  • Amazon Kindle (Kindle Wikipedia entry), the Kindle keeps getting better looking, cheaper and with more storage inside (the larger reader has a 9.7 inch screen and adds support for PDF, and increases storage for up to 3,500 books). It is appreciated above all for the ability to buy and download books wirelessly. In October 2009, a Kindle International version was made available for use outside the U.S.A. (but with a cost for wireless access). A large selection of books is available in the Kindle format mentioned above, with support for other non-DRM/secure formats like HTML and TXT. As of March ‘09, you can buy and read Kindle-format ebooks on the iPhone/iTouch without having to purchase a Kindle (app link below).
  • Sony Reader (Sony Reader Wikipedia entry) – offered in both a pocket and regular version, it displays Sony’s ebook format BBeB (.lrx / .lrf), PDF, and EPUB in both secure/DRM and non-DRM formats; and other non-secure formats like HTML and TXT. Sony and Google will make a half million public domain books available for the Sony Reader.
  • Barnes & Noble “Nook” – B&N, who bought Fictionwise/eReader in 2009, first released the Nook in October 2009. E Ink® but also with a color touchscreen for the controls, with 2GB space and expandable for more, it supports eReader formats and EPUB, both in DRM and non-DRM formats. Kudos to B&N for not only supporting an existing format (Amazon, you screwed us with Mobipocket books) but for supporting EPUB, too!
  • iRex Iliad (Iliad Wikipedia entry) – secure Mobipocket and other non-secure formats like HTML and TXT.
  • Bookeen Cybook – (Cybook Wikipedia entry) – secure Mobipocket and other non-secure formats like HTML and TXT.
  • eBookwise is one of the first dedicated readers I saw, though it does not use electronic ink technology and therefore has a backlit screen. It is from the company Fictionwise,  but it has its own dedicated ebook store, www.ebookwise.com. Formats include Rocket Book (.rb) files and other non-secure formats like HTML, .doc and text.
  • Foxit eSlick Reader – one of the cheaper options available using e Ink (under $300), it seems to only support PDF and TXT formats.
  • Cool-ER – a reader using e Ink made in the UK it supports JPEG, PDF, or TXT document, or any EPUB formatted eBook.

Upcoming Ebook Readers & Rumors

• Fujitsu FLEPia – the first color reader with a touch screen, and made with their proprietary “e-paper” technology, similar to eInk. Available April 2009 in Japan only. Will read XMDF and .book formats.
• Samsung Papyrus – a 5″ touchscreen to be launched this summer in Korea. No word on formats supported.
• BeBook 2 was shown at CeBIT and will be released towards the end of 2009.
• txtr reader – planned release for the 3rd quarter of 2009, will have “broad document support” – PDF, HTML, Office, ePub and more; plans to use watermarking in place of DRM
• Borders UK will release an alternative ebook reader to the Iliad “in a few weeks.” (March ’09)
• LG will be coming out with a solar-powered device, currently listed as “Solar Cell e-book.” Besides the fact that they refer to the reader as an ebook, and not an ebook reader, the focus is on the display and not formats or what it will support. (Jan ’10)
• Skiff Reader was from publishing company Hearst, to launch in 2010. The technology was subsequently acquired in June 2010 – there is no sign of the Skiff.
• Plastic Logic QUE was to be sold through Barnes & Noble stores in mid-April 2010 [source] but now the website has no more information.

Not an ebook reader, but worth mentioning is Calibre, an electronic book organizer software that’s free to download and will even convert non-DRM files into other formats.

Applications to Read Ebooks on the iPhone / ipod Touch and iPad

Since I read books mainly with my Apple ipod Touch and my iPad, I thought I’d share some free applications available through the Apple App store that you can instantly download and use to read eBooks on your iPhone or ipod Touch. Many of these are also available for mobiles / smartphones.

Note: I am unable to verify the availability of each of these applications in every iTunes Store in every country – some may not be available. Also, check the availability of the content you’re interested in, and whether you can purchase it from your physical location, directly on the application’s website.

• eReader – released almost immediately for the iPhone, you can download books directly from your eReader.com, Fictionwise.com, and Manybooks.net bookshelves. eReader format .pdb only, or Multiformat (unencrypted) eBooks from Fictionwise, but they also give you 25MB of upload space “Personal Content” to upload eReader PDB books from other retailers/locations.
• Barnes & Noble eReader – since acquiring eReader.com and Fictionwise.com, they have come out with their own iPhone application that requires a bn.com account to use and supports eReader formats purchased on their site.
• Kindle App – works like the name says, with Kindle-format books bought on Amazon. You do not need to own a Kindle to use this application or buy books. You cannot buy books directly through the app but can use Safari on iPhone/iTouch or through a normal internet connection and then download them wirelessly through the iPhone/iTouch. Special feature to sync last-read-page across your Kindle and iPhone.
• Stanza – an alternative to eReader since they support more formats, they have an Online Catalog with books from BooksonBoard, O’Reilly, Fictionwise, All Romance, Random House and others to download secure PDB files to your iPhone or iTouch. They also read DRM-free/unprotected Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket, Microsoft LIT, EPUB and PalmDoc, as well as Microsoft Word, Rich Text Format, HTML, and PDF. Go directly to the Stanza supported formats page.
• Bookshelf – mostly for public domain books and non-DRM versions of PalmDoc/PDB files. Requires use of their client-side software and wifi/Edge/Apple’s Bonjour (connectivity) service to transfer books.
• Wattpad – iPhone app released on March 8th, this community coined the “YouTube for eBooks” is based on sharing stories, essays and jokes that’s been in existence since 2006. “User-generated ebooks.” Content should be uploaded in Text format. [iTunes app link]
• ScrollMotion’s Iceberg Reader – books are purchased and downloaded as individual apps through the iTunes store.
• Kobo (was Shortcovers) – used to be Shortcovers, Kobo can be used on a number of devices like the Blackberry, iPhone, and your PC. You can purchase books from within the iPhone app if you create an account. Format seems to be Adobe EPUB, but unclear.
• Text on Phone – a web-based application accessible from iphone (go to www.textonphone.com with Safari) that will cache-ahead pages so there’s no delay. Mainly open-license books, but you can upload your own .rtf books using a login.
• Readdle – Actually a document and file management solution, it also has a document viewer which can be used to view Word documents, PDF and text files. Needs internet connection to load book/doc initially. [Apple web apps link]
• Reid Minion by Minion Software – not a free app (currently $2.99) allows you to read your own Google Docs and free ebooks through their book server. They support HTML, txt, rtf and whatever Google considers a “document.”

Missing something? Let me know in the comments or via email!

Stay tuned for the next part in the Guide to ebooks series, Part 3: Where to Find and Buy Ebooks and Learning Resources!

Image by CarbonNYC

Part 1: What are ebooks? Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Books

• What are Ebooks : Electronic Books?
• Why aren’t Ebooks more popular? Tactile Loss and the eBabel problem
• ebooks are Great! Here’s Why : Advantages of ebooks

Part 2: How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and iPhone Applications

• Ebook Formats
• How to Read an Ebook: Devices and Dedicated Ebook Readers
• Applications to Read Ebooks on the iPhone / iTouch

Part 3: Where to Buy and Find Free Ebooks, and Learning Resources

• Where to Find and Buy Ebooks
• Where to Find Free Ebooks
• Learning Resources

What are Ebooks : Electronic Books?

The official definition of an ebook is:

“ebook. noun a book composed in or converted to digital format for display on a computer screen or handheld device” – Merriam-Webster.com

“e-book. noun a book that is published in electronic form, for example on the Internet or on a disk, and not printed on paper” – Cambridge.org

At least two well-known spellings ebook and e-book and countless other versions (eBook, Ebook) exist but the term ebook now is often used when referring to the methodology of reading just about any mid-to-long-length electronic document that is viewable on a screen, including research papers, short stories and even magazines.

For the purposes of this guide we’re going to talk about ebooks in their pure version: the electronic equivalent of any book or novel formatted for on-screen reading.

Why aren’t ebooks more Popular? Tactile loss And the eBabel Problem

Why aren’t ebooks more popular? The arguments seem to fall into three categories:

• Tactile loss : I like the feel and smell of paper / I can’t read on a screen
• Lending loss : I want to lend my books to who I want
• Library loss : I want a library that will last forever

While the first two are considerable arguments, the tactile loss argument is probably the most obvious and passionate argument longtime readers have, but the least serious technologically. I also feel that it’s getting outweighed by the convenience factor and the fact that we are reading more and more material everyday on a screen.

We all remember the discussions when mp3s started becoming popular and people insisted “they’ll want the album notes – they’ll want the physical CD.” Then Apple came along and introduced the iTunes Store and multiple copycats followed so buying electronic music was even easier and became mass-market through support of major record labels.

The one big difference between the music and ebook markets is there is no “mp3″ of ebooks – there is no universal ebook file format, what is often referred to as the “eBabel” problem, much like the Tower of Babel. So unlike when you bought .m4p files from Apple (their proprietary format), you could also load in mp3 files from other sources and create mp3s from your own CDs. Devices just had to read .mp3 and perhaps an additional proprietary format. With ebooks we’re still playing a format-device game and there will be no way to load in electronic versions of paper books you already own.

Lending loss is a problem that I feel less as I didn’t and don’t often exchange books with friends. In fact, I often re-read books I like so I appreciate keeping them in my library. But for other people, the fact that they can’t lend paper books to other friends, re-sell or even buy used books is a disadvantage. In some cases ebooks can be authorized for more than one device, so perhaps you and your best friend can still share books, but for now ebook sellers are determined to keep you from sharing your ebooks.

We’re in an exciting and ugly time for ebooks. There are so many formats, and each one is determined to succeed. Remember the VHS and Beta fight in the 1980s? Only one survived. This time, there are more than two major players so not only must the author and publisher decide which format(s) to publish in, and they rarely choose all formats available, now you as a consumer are forced to make a decision about where to get your content and which format to buy it in.

And what if you’re wrong? You could lose your library.

Underlying all of this is the major problem of DRM – Digital Rights Management, which I’ll talk more about when examining the ebook formats available. That’s a risk everyone is taking now buying formats that are tied to specific devices, or even a particular format in general. Almost all major books are being released with some DRM attached to them. Some format providers are seeing the benefit of being separate from a device, and are offering cross-compatibility on several devices.

Ebooks are Great! Here’s Why : Advantages of ebooks

So are there any advantages to ebooks? As I mentioned in my editorial announcement about this ebook guide, I love ebooks for several reasons: mobility, saving space, convenience, saving money and time, and ease-of-use. Here’s why:

Mobility

• Carry your entire library in your pocket: With disk space quickly becoming a commodity, and the size of portable device hard drives getting bigger and bigger, it’s conceivable to think that you could have your entire library with you and have it accessible to your fingertips.
• Backup a copy of your library with an online backup service: Backing up your entire library online or locally won’t require much space and it’s something that would be impossible with a physical library, and no more worries about fire-proofing your books.

Saving Physical Space

• Your Library is as Big as your Disk Drive: As a bit of a nomad, I’ve changed house several times in my life, and each time I’ve had to give away parts or all of my library. Your library can grow as big as the disk space you have available and will be relatively small compared to walls and walls of bookshelves. And, due to disk space becoming a commodity, it’s safe to say you’ll probably never run out of space to store your library in your lifetime.

Convenience

• Keep it? Throw it Away? It’s just Bits: Ever read a book you hated so much you wouldn’t even recommend it to your worst enemy? Now, you won’t have the guilt of having to give away or throw out that paper book you couldn’t finish. Keeping an electronic book will take up so little space you’re allowed a few mistakes, and hopefully it will allow you to experiment with different types of authors and genres.
• Your Next Book is just Moments Away: Bringing hundreds of books with you wherever you are means you never have to plan ahead for that long trip or even the bus ride across town. When you’ve finished one book, quickly browse your library and start another!

Saving Time & Money

• No Shipping Costs or Wait Time: This is a much easier argument for me to prove living as an expat with book prices being astronomical in a non-English speaking country. But, remember that when you eliminate the need for shipping that book to where you physically are, there will be some cost benefits.
• Save Gas, Save Time: Also, buying electronically will inevitably save you gas by not going to a physical bookstore, and time as from selection to purchase and reading an electronic book can be done in mere minutes.

Ease-of-Use

Not all ebook software is exactly the same, but many of them have similar settings and features that are common:

• Adjust Font Size for any Eyes: Adjust the font size, type and background color of your electronic book per your preferences.
• Add Notes, Bookmarks or Highlight: Instead of earmarking pages or marking up your paper copy, electronic copies allow you to add and delete bookmarks and notes at will and as many as you see fit.
• Searchable and Linkable Text: The text is searchable and can be hyperlinked, you can jump back-and-forth between chapters or the glossary.

Stay tuned for the next part in the Guide to ebooks series, How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and Applications!

image by jblyberg

If you follow me on Twitter (@rosso) or read my food and travel blog, Ms. Adventures in Italy, it’s possible that you’ve heard me talk about ebooks, also spelled e-books or eBooks, which are electronic books.

I love Ebooks. Yes, really.

I’ve been reading exclusively “E” for more than three years now. Part of it has to do with being a bit of a nomad, having moved across the country and the world a few times. I realized quickly that I can’t take it all with me, and when I left California I had to give away several hundred books. I’m also a speed reader, and I read about 100 new books a year (and I re-read who knows how many of my library) so my library becomes more and more unmanageable every year.

So eBooks fit the bill for me when it comes to mobility, saving space, convenience and saving money. Yes, saving money. Especially living out of the US, English books are quite expensive, yet I can buy them online in a number of genres not available in most international bookstores, and on the day they are released. Talk about instant gratification!

Next week, March 8-14 is Read an Ebook Week and in honor of that, not only will I be reading a LOT of eBooks, I will posting several posts in the next few days that will be a Guide to Ebooks. I’ll be talking about advantages and disadvantages, formats, devices and applications to get you going on ebooks now, and I’ll update this post so it becomes a table of contents.

If you have any questions, put them in the comments, or send them to me via email and I’ll make sure to answer them in the content of the guide or in a readers’ questions post at the end of the series.

• Part 1 of A Guide to Ebooks: What are ebooks? Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Books
• Part 2 of A Guide to Ebooks: How to Read an ebook: Formats, Devices, Dedicated Readers and iPhone Applications
• Part 3 of A Guide to Ebooks: Where to Buy and Find Free Ebooks, and Learning Resources