One eReader to rule them all?
June 25th, 2010 | By Ovi Demetrian Jr | Posted in Reading
I’ve covered eBook formats in a previous post, so I thought taking a look at eReaders would be a good follow up to that. Like the eBook format, readers for eBooks are also at their beginning stages so there are still certain kinks that need to be worked out to make them easier to use. Here are some things to keep in mind when considering one:
- eReaders usually come in two forms: as eInk devices (Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, etc) and as applications for your computer (Adobe Digital Editions, Calibre, etc), mobile device (Stanza, Kobo, Aldiko, etc), or iPad
- Because of the varying eBook formats you’re likely to download, look for an eReader that allows for reading multiple formats
- As with digital music, DRM can be an issue for moving your eBooks from device/app to device/app, so when downloading eBooks make sure their DRM allows for this, or just try to avoid any eBooks with DRM all-together
- As people start using multiple devices for reading, a good universal solution is to go with a web-based app like Ibis Reader
And like with eBook formats, betting on the web is the way to go. One of the reasons the web browser was invented was for electronic reading and is now being built in to practically every device. And to not have to deal with moving files around, storing your files online seems to be the way things are heading and in a few years will become the norm. The ultimate goal being to just log in to an online eBook app of your choice and access your library of books from any device, anywhere, anytime.
Ovi Demetrian Jr is the founder and interface designer for Indie Aisle. He loves books of fiction along with comics and has delusions of writing his own stories someday.
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