What is An eBook and Why Would You Want One?

An eBook is an electronic book, one you read digitally on your computer, laptop screen or on devices called ebook readers.

You will find them in various formats and until the industry has a standard accessible in all devices these various formats will exist.

PDF format is a popular format for ebooks. All platforms are able to gain access and read PDF formatting. So regardless if you have a PC or Mac, you are in business! PDF requires the Acrobat Reader but this software comes on many new computers and if not included, it's a free downloaded from Adobe http://www.adobe.com. There are still many who prefer printing out the pages of an ebook to read and PDF files have always been good for this purpose. Visit the IRS online and you will see every tax form they have available on PDF to print, fill out and send.

Other popular formats include:
HTML (which can be read on your computer screen, laptop or converted to read on the previously manufactured Nuvomedia Rocket eBook reader or converted to the popular Mobipocket for Palm readers)/
Microsoft LIT (requires the free Microsoft Reader installed on your computer, laptop or Pocket PC 2002 device)
PalmOS
Hiebook - KML - For the newest eBook reader available. This unit is manufactured in Korea and there is limited distribution in the US and Canada

So, why would you want an ebook? As you discover this still young, but growing industry with your surfing over the Internet, you will discover ePublishers and eBookstores gradually growing in numbers. Take a look at what they offer and what they have to say about their authors and titles. Thousands upon thousands of authors write books yearly. Of those, a small percentage have the good fortune of being accepted by a publisher. This is not because they don't make the grade, but because of the vast numbers.

The Internet is a wide open medium. Excellent, talented authors can take their books to the Net, market/promote and sell those books. Others are coming to the epublishing houses and taking that route. It is guaranteed as you journey through the ePublishing world, you are going to find outstanding, spell-binding, and top-class works, which are well worth the read.

Will ebooks replace printed books? We sure hope not, at least not in our lifetime.

Yet we embrace progress and anticipate the future with excitement. Our children are the ones who will comfortably slide into this world. Already they are at ease working on computers, doing research for homework, writing papers, let alone just surfing the Internet. Imagine a child having just one e-reader to carry to school where all the text books they need are stored within that one unit. No more backpacks or bookbags to lug around, be left on the bus or lost somewhere between school and home. Five years ago you didn't see numerous people with cell phones and now it is common place. In time you will see ereaders, whether they are PDA's or some other dedicated ebook reader, from the grade schools all through college.

So, why would you want an ebook? To experience a new wave of the future, to discover new and exciting authors and their stories, to embrace what lies around the next corner and be a part of its unfolding.