Tech Tip: Embrace the E-Book

TECH TIP

EMBRACE THE E-BOOK

THE PROBLEM

Your back hurts from carrying around heavy textbooks, and you’re aware that you can buy them as e-books.

THE FIX

Discover how a digital reader differs from (and can even be better than) printed books.

HOW TO DO IT

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Source: Fuse/Getty Images;

THE PROS

  • Digital reading devices (e-readers) are portable—most weigh about a pound—and can hold thousands of books.
  • With most e-readers, you can buy books online from anywhere or you can download them from the public library and start reading them within minutes.
  • You can type notes in an e-book, highlight passages, or copy and paste sections.
  • You can print out pages simply by connecting your device to your printer.
  • Many e-readers even accept audiobooks and can read to you aloud.
  • You can adjust the size of an e-book’s text, making it easier to read.
  • Some e-readers link directly to a built-in dictionary. Just highlight a word, and the device will look it up. Others will also link to reference Web sites like Google or Wikipedia when a Wi-Fi or 4G connection is available.
  • E-books are searchable and even sharable.

THE CONS

  • Digital reading devices are expensive.
  • Unlike books, they can break if you drop them.
  • It’s harder to flip through pages of an e-book than of a printed book.
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Source: © Nikolai Golovanoff/Corbis

GOOD TO KNOW

The most popular e-readers are the iPad, the Kindle, the Nook, and the Kobo Touch. Each comes in several different versions. Basic models are designed to replicate the experience of reading a paper book. More expensive models offer touch color screens, Web browsers, video, music, and thousands of free and for-purchase apps.