Over the last 40 years the industry of e-books has never stopped growing as e-readers kept becoming more performant and practical.
E-reading dates back to 1971, when the first digital library to date was created, 'Project Gutenberg'. The US Declaration Of Independence was the first digitised work of the Project, which is still around today.
Since then, many different devices have been sharing the market, such as Kobos, and Amazon's Kindle which is the most famous. Apple's iPads are also really popular despite the fact that their primary function is not e-reading. The success and quick spread of those devices makes us tend to think that e-reading is the future of reading.
However, a new tendency has been emerging in the last few years, which shows a whole new world of reading habits. Indeed, mobile phones are increasingly being used by smartphone users all over the world to buy and read books, magazines, novels, and even comics. The size and definition of many smartphone screens are constantly improving which makes reading more comfortable. On the other hand, smartphones are smaller than most e-readers, and it is easier to carry them around. Indeed, most people nowadays are not leaving their house without their mobile phones, which is not the case of e-readers.
Since the invention of smartphones, mobile phones are no longer used exclusively for phone calls or text messaging. They are now replacing computers, calculators, music players, and even cameras. Could they also, in a few years time, replace books?
E-reading dates back to 1971, when the first digital library to date was created, 'Project Gutenberg'. The US Declaration Of Independence was the first digitised work of the Project, which is still around today.
Since then, many different devices have been sharing the market, such as Kobos, and Amazon's Kindle which is the most famous. Apple's iPads are also really popular despite the fact that their primary function is not e-reading. The success and quick spread of those devices makes us tend to think that e-reading is the future of reading.
However, a new tendency has been emerging in the last few years, which shows a whole new world of reading habits. Indeed, mobile phones are increasingly being used by smartphone users all over the world to buy and read books, magazines, novels, and even comics. The size and definition of many smartphone screens are constantly improving which makes reading more comfortable. On the other hand, smartphones are smaller than most e-readers, and it is easier to carry them around. Indeed, most people nowadays are not leaving their house without their mobile phones, which is not the case of e-readers.
Since the invention of smartphones, mobile phones are no longer used exclusively for phone calls or text messaging. They are now replacing computers, calculators, music players, and even cameras. Could they also, in a few years time, replace books?
Argos.co.uk, (2014). Buy Kindle, E-readers and accessories from Argos.co.uk - Your online shop for Technology. [online] Available at: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Browse/ID72/33014113/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CTechnology%7C33006169/c_2/2%7C33006169%7CiPad%2C+tablets+and+E-readers%7C33007659/c_3/3%7Ccat_33007659%7CKindle%2C+E-readers+and+accessories%7C33014113.htm [Accessed 5 Oct. 2014].
Ereaders.wikidot.com, (2014). History of E-book Readers - ereaders. [online] Available at: http://ereaders.wikidot.com/history-of-e-book-readers [Accessed 4 Oct. 2014].
Roose, K. (2014). Here’s What the Future of Reading Looks Like. [online] Daily Intelligencer. Available at: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/heres-what-the-future-of-reading-looks-like.html [Accessed 5 Oct. 2014].
Ereaders.wikidot.com, (2014). History of E-book Readers - ereaders. [online] Available at: http://ereaders.wikidot.com/history-of-e-book-readers [Accessed 4 Oct. 2014].
Roose, K. (2014). Here’s What the Future of Reading Looks Like. [online] Daily Intelligencer. Available at: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/heres-what-the-future-of-reading-looks-like.html [Accessed 5 Oct. 2014].