What is an eReader?

An e-reader is a device that allows you to read digital texts. These can be specific publications, such as a book, newspaper or magazine. But most e-readers can also read PDFs.

An e-reader works with what is called e-ink or e-paper, electronic ink or electronic paper. The technology behind it is quite simple. The screen of an e-reader consists of a number of small spheres. Those balls are colored on one side. The spheres are turned in a certain direction by means of electrical voltage. Some have the colored side up, others the neutral side. This allows you to see letters on the screen.

At the moment there are also devices on the market that do not use e-ink, but that are recommended as e-readers. These devices use LCD screens, which means that the advantages mentioned below no longer apply.

An e-Ink e-reader has a number of important advantages: the device is very energy efficient. Once the screen is built, it no longer consumes power. Only actions, such as browsing and consulting the menu, consume some energy. An e-reader can last up to a few weeks without recharging, so it’s ideal for a holiday! In addition, the e-reader does not use a backlight in the screen. This is used in LCD screens of, for example, tablets and cheap e-readers.

The e-Ink screen therefore reads just like paper and is very easy on the eyes. Finally, an e-reader can store a large amount of e-books. The internal memory of e-readers is often about 2 GB, enough for thousands of e-books. In addition, the memory can often be expanded with an extra memory card, usually of the micro SD type.

• An e-reader offers other advantages over a paper book. You can easily adjust the font size according to your need.
• No hassle with bookmarks or papers to remember where you left off in a book. The e-reader remembers that for you.
• Another advantage is that you can buy new books from home. You buy or borrow an e-book and a few seconds after the purchase you are reading your new book.

Libraries move with the times. In various places in the Netherlands, if you are a member of the local library, you can also borrow e-books. An e-book stays on your e-reader for three weeks, after which it disappears on its own. You can then download it again. For more information about borrowing e-books from the library, please contact your local branch.

Books are subject to copyright. You may not just copy and distribute them. Of course, this also applies to electronic books. That’s why the ebooks you buy are copy protected. In most cases, the file is watermarked. It stores information about the original purchaser. If you lend the ebook on a large scale, the publisher can find out who owns the original ebook. Another security that is less common these days is DRM. This stands for Digital Rights Management. For example, DRM controls how many devices you can install a book on.

Each ebook comes in a specific file format. At the moment there are different formats, but ePub is the most popular for Dutch books. Therefore, when purchasing an e-reader, make sure that it can read the ePub format.