How the ebook works

If you are a staunch lover of paper books, surely the electronic book is something that you do not like at all. But in the end almost everyone has the odd ebook. And you may have a question about how the electronic book works.

As you know, It is a way of reading books digitally, unlike printed books, made of paper and read without the need for a technological device. But have you ever wondered how they work? We clarify it below.

Ebook or e-reader?

When you think of the word ebook, what comes to mind? Actually, the truth is that we use these two terms to refer to two different things and at the same time that they interpenetrate.

On one hand, An electronic book is a digital book that requires software to be read. In other words, it requires a program or device that can read these types of files.

On the other hand, An electronic book can be the device that reads digital books. Commonly it is called an e-reader or electronic book reader, but it is increasingly common for it to also be called an electronic book, because it really serves to read those books.

The essential elements for the electronic book to work

When you have a book on paper, you know that all you need is to open it and start reading. Maybe a light if you do it at night. But really little else you will need for it.

However, an electronic book does need some essential elements. And it is that, if you download a digital book and want to read it, it is possible that, whether it is your mobile, your tablet, your computer... they will tell you that they cannot read that file format.

To do it, you need to download special software, a “ebook reader". This program is in charge of accessing all those electronic books that you have and being able to display them on the screen to read them.

as you will understand, that implies that you must have a screen to do it, be it the mobile phone, tablet, book-reading computer or any technological device with a screen. Without this you can't read them, because it wouldn't be able to recognize the file, and even if it recognized it, it wouldn't be able to show it to you for reading.

In the case of having an electronic book reader, this device allows you to read any book, as long as it is in the format that it can read. In other words, if you have a reader that only reads the .MOBI format, you won't be able to insert a pdf, .epub... because it will be unable to process the data from this file. In this case, you would have to convert them to a format that it does read.

On the other hand, with mobile phones and tablets, if by default it does not read e-books, it would be enough to download an application that does and, in this way, enjoy reading it.

Finally, in the case of computers and laptops, the most logical thing is that, if by default there is no type of reader already installed, a basic program must be installed to read the ebook formats (that is, MOBI, Epub, PDF even... ).

How the ebook works

This question is not easy to answer, especially when there is a lot of confusion as to what is meant by an electronic book, whether the file that contains the work or the device that is usually used to read.

Generally, the operation of the electronic book refers to the ereader, since it is this device that is capable of reading digital books. And how it works? On the one hand, has an internal memory in which books are stored that you download and put them in the device; that you buy (and they are transferred to that device) or that you send them by mail (in some cases).

At the same time, They have a screen that is equipped with a technology called "electronic ink" capable of making it appear that the page you read digitally is as if it were a page on paper. This means that it does not have reflections, it does not tire the eyes and it is the closest thing to a book on paper.

Physically, these devices they are flat, slim and not too big screen wise (almost like a book). They barely weigh and avoid having to produce tons of paper to print books.

However, the e-book has both advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of.

Advantages and disadvantages of the electronic book

It is clear that an e-book is a good thing. And at the same time bad. But how much good and how much bad? Advantages and disadvantages come into play. Because there are. We tell you about them.

Advantages of an electronic book

One of the main advantages of electronic books (in this case referring to devices) is its portability.

Imagine that you are going on a trip and you are going to disconnect completely. Since you like reading, you want to take several books with you. And if you are a very fast reader, you know that if you stay for a couple of weeks, 10 books may well fall.

The problem is that carrying a suitcase with 10 books is carrying a lot of weight. On the other hand, with an electronic reader you can carry 10, 100 or even 10000 books without weighing more than a few grams in your suitcase (or in a bag).

Another advantage of e-books is their price.. Now, let's analyze it. If by e-book we mean the device, they are not cheap. They cost much more than a book. But they compensate because inside them you can put many books.

If by electronic book we understand works, it is true that they are cheaper than paper books. Sometimes the difference is not that great, but other times it is, and it even allows you, with the same budget, to buy two, three or more digital books compared to just one on paper.

Another thing to keep in mind about e-book readers is the ability to customize. That is, it allows you to change the size and type of font, you can adjust the brightness of the screen, place markers, underline text, make annotations, etc. And many of these functions you could not do in a paper book.

The not so good of the e-book

Despite everything we have discussed before, it is true that the electronic book has some drawbacks. The first of them, and the most important, is his dependency on technology. That is, you need an e-reader, a computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop... to be able to read the book. That limits you many times.

Another problem that they maintain is the lack of charm and sentimental value. When you have a book on paper and you liked it, you love to turn the pages, smell it, and even see it in your bookstore. But with an electronic book this does not happen.

Now that you know how an electronic book works and the pros and cons it has, are you more into paper or digital?