IXD 304 – What is an eBook?

Prologue

This is an article covering many topics related to ebooks, the opening lines

We live in the age of electronic everything. eCommerce, eBanking, eTickets, eGift Cards, eCigarettes, and the list goes on.

It really shows how everything is becoming electonric in one way or another. As the writer says people love the idea of doing everything from virtually anywhere on any device. With that being said, it’s no surprise that we’ve started revolutionizing the way we do just about everything. With smartphones the norm and almost everyone owning some form of computer, it is no wonder we want to do things practically anywhere we are. Like on a train, doing some eBanking. Or using an eCigarette instead of tobacco filled cigarettes (Both are bad for you).

What started as a way to make everyday activities easier has made its way to our leisure activities, reading being one that was massively revolutionized. We’ve introduced eBooks as a way of making one of worlds favorite pastimes that much easier.

The Article is divided up to help us find what we are looking for easily. In this case I want to know the Benefits of eBooks and how to make an eBook.

Benefits of eBooks

The introduction of eBooks to the world of reading, has brought many benefits. The writer has listed a few in which I think are very good points all of which are things we are conscious of;

eBooks save space

Some people are fortunate enough to have big libraries to store their books. But for the bookworms who don’t have that extra room, eBooks save a tremendous amount of space by allowing readers to store thousands of books on one device. No more searching for space to store your new books.

eBooks save money

I know this one caught your eye, because who doesn’t want to save money? With no manufacturing or shipping costs, eBooks are cheaper than paperback books. The average price of an eBook rings in at less than $5, whereas paperback books are generally more than $10. Might not seem like much, but it adds up if you’re an avid reader.

eBooks save the environment

Quite possibly my favorite benefit of eBooks. The book-printing industry consumes 16 million tons of paper each year; that’s 32 million trees. And don’t get me started on the amount of pollution that factories release into the air. Talk about an enormous carbon footprint.

With eBooks making up around 30 percent of book sales, they not only save energy and reduce pollution, but they also save approximately 9.6 million of those 32 million trees annually! A win for everyone.

 

You can change the font size of an eBook

I feel personally this is a really important one, accessibility is a key thing that gives eBooks a massive advantage over paperback books. As an Interaction Design accessibility is one of the more important aspects I should be looking at whenever making something.

Depending on the format (excludes PDF), you can change the font size of an eBook. This is especially appealing to those who have a hard time seeing. No more squinting or reaching for your glasses. It’s nice and easy to customize your font size with an eBook.

Although you can’t change the font size of a PDF eBook, you still can zoom in on your device. Not as convenient, but still something you can’t do with a paperback book.

 

So with all that in mind, it is clear to me that I want to pursue the creation of an ebook for my second half of this module. I think that it would be a good breath of fresh air to get back to my art and design days of doing graphic design and work on something simplier than a website for a change.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *