While the idea of electronic text is as old as personal computers and essentially one of the core purposes of them, electronic versions of novels and other printed works only started appearing in very small numbers and usually scanned, converted and distributed by the users rather than officially offered by any publisher. Once advanced Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices were available e-books made more sense to publishers, and electronic versions of some of their printed works became available for purchase on-line.

E-book reader devices also existed for a while, but are now going through something of a revival. An e-book reader is a tablet-like portable computerised device with simple controls. E-book readers use many of the same components as a PDA or smart-phone, but locked-down to only manage the storage and display of e-books, and to allow book marking and annotating.

The main issue with open e-book readers is they tend to be fairly expensive, especially for a single-purpose device. Newer devices are offered by publishers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and are restricted to their own publications. Similar to games sold for specific games consoles, e-books for specific devices can only be purchased from their publisher directly, in turn allowing the devices to be sold at lower prices.

Most smart-phone and PDAs have e-book reader applications which can be installed in order to use as a reader device. Mobipocket Reader, Microsoft Reader and iSilo are among some of the reader applications available for many smart-phones, PDAs, Windows and Mac OS computers.

E-books offer many significant advantages over their printed counterparts. Many e-books can be stored on a small storage device or within a reader device, so taking an entire collection of books is very easy. Usually the reader devices are easier to handle than a full printed book, and the last page read will be remembered automatically and not require a specific marker or run the risk of losing the page. Most of the reader devices offer a lit screen or lit screen option, making desk lamps or lighting irrelevant in order to read. On the other hand an e-book reader requires power from the mains or a charged battery, and can become faulty.

While it can feel a little strange to use an electronic device to read a novel, it is worth giving it a try for a whole book at least. The advantages do outweigh the disadvantages in reality as well as theory. In fact I have yet to meet anyone who stayed with an e-book reader for a whole novel anddid not go back for more.

Be sure to verify what e-book file types are offered for specific books of interest before deciding on which e-book reader to buy.