An ebook is an "electronic book". These books are called "electronic" because they are files that you access on your computer. Like a normal paper book they have cover art, an author, editor, illustrator, publisher and story. E-books are available in any genre, any length, and many formats.
Many of us read similar files every single day....
You can get ebooks that open in your word processor, just like the report you might type at work, or that Assignment you just handed in. There are HTML ebooks that open in your browser and look just like a webpage (only with a lot more text usually).
WEE novels are currently available in 11 formats. And our Children's books are in PDF and Flip Album. To learn more about these formats and any software you may need, please click on the "What Are Ebooks?" link above.
By customer request, we have our novels in two "page flipping" formats. These formats are specially made files that make the ebook appear similar to a print book with pages that flip over as you turn the page.
These two formats are: .dnl and .exe. The exe is a normal Windows executable file, so the moment you click on it (after saving it on your hard drive) it will run in Windows. The other requires the download of the dnl reading software (later versions do work on the Mac). You can download this here. We do not frequently update this download, so for the latest version of the reader just type "dnl reader" into a search engine.
Children's Picture Books:
The Flip Album books also requires special programs to open: Windows Version and Mac Version. We do not update these all the time, so you can probably get more recent versions from the flip album website.
There are a number of choices, depending on the book format you buy.
The "formats" let you know what file type the book has been made in. The most common is "htm" which is opened in your browser (Internet Explorer usually). There are also programs designed specifically for ebooks:
Microsoft made the Microsoft Reader program, that has "Clear Type Technology" and is supposed to make reading on screen much easier on your eyes.
Adobe Acrobat made PDF, files which are used in most business for documents that you want to look the same no matter what kind of computer opens them.
The Palm, Gemstar and Rocket formats are usually for use in an electronic reading device (such as the Palm Reader, Ebookwise and the Rocket).
There are also many other types of software that make executable files that do not require the purchaser to have the program installed on their computer to run. You just need the purchased book - this is a lot like zipped files that are made to self-extract, so that the recipient doesn't have to have WinZip to open the file.
Some of these programs make books that display two pages on screen at once and when you click on the next page they actually show the page turning - so it almost feels like you are reading a print book!
As I stated earlier some books use your normal web browser, but some do require special software.
These programs needed to read electronic books are usually free to download off the internet, here are the most common:
* Adobe Acrobat Reader (for PDF files)
* Microsoft Reader (for LIT Files)
* Mobipocket Reader (for PRC FILES) - which can be used on PalmOS, Windows CE, PocketPC, Psion and Franklin eBookMan and many other reading devices and mobile phones.
* Flip Album Viewer (for Windows)
* Flip Album Viewer (for Macs)
* Desktop Author (dnl files)
No, you don't, there are small electronic gadgets made for readers to take their electronic books away from the computer - to be read in bed, on public transport or even while waiting in queues. These gadgets are generally referred to as "e-readers" or "e-reading devices".
My personal e-reader has saved me a lot of wasted time while out doing errands - and better yet, with its backlight I can read at night in bed and not disturb my husband lying beside me!
Some e-readers include Amazon's Kindle, the Palm Pilot, Rocket eBook and RCA eBooks (REB 1100 and REB 1200), ebookwise as well as MANY other types - the best place to find them is actually on ebay!
There are many people who find reading print books uncomfortable, inconvenient or even unhealthy. Due to the paper dust, people with dust allergies find ebooks a godsend. Because e-readers are so light and can contain so many books, those with RSI or arthritis who find heavy books difficult to hold (or painful), no longer have to worry.
Hopefully one day school children will have electronic textbooks so they won't need heavy backpacks that damage their spines. Electronic textbooks are already for sale in America, but are not yet common place in the school system.
Also if you are looking for particular text you can search an ebook very quickly using a "find" function, which is much better than skimming through a print book for the item you are looking for.
In some formats, on some reading devices, you can also highlight the text without damaging the file. Unlike a print book and highlighter pen, which is impossible to remove when you are finished with it.
Reading Devices:
The following is not a fully comprehensive list of electronic reading devices available for reading ebooks. You can probably find a lot more, at cheaper prices on ebay. But here are a few to let you know what to look for:
The Amazon Kindle:
This reading device came out in late November 2007 from Amazon. It natively reads unencrypted mobipocket books (prc). These books can be bought from this site and uploaded by usb cable direct to the Kindle, without having to go via Amazon or any other online service.
Costs around $399 US
Ebookwise:
The ebookwise can read the gemstar formats that we sell on our site. Having owned one of these personally, I can state from my own experience that they are a good device, though I didn't like the software needed to upload books into the ebookwise from your computer.
Basic model costs around $110 US.
Cybook:
I have not seen the Cybook but apparently it supports HTML, PRC, PalmDoc and PDF. All of which are available at this shop.
Basic model costs around $350US.
Hanlin Ereader:
I have not seen Hanlin e-reader either, but the site says it supports pdfs, html, and jpgs which we use in our books and mp3 for when we release audio books.
Basic model costs around $330US.
Palm Ereaders:
1. Palm TX Handheld:
The palm ebook readers should support palm format books - which we sell (Palm pdb).
Basic model costs around $300US.
1. Palm Tungsten:
The palm ebook readers should support palm format books - which we sell (Palm pdb).
Basic model costs around $200US.
