Questions & Answers

Ebook Information

What is an eBook?
"eBook" is short for electronic book. eBooks are electronic or paperless versions of books sold by Internet bookstores for reading on a PC or PDA. The eBooks on this site are Microsoft Reader eBooks or PDF eBooks.

Instead of lugging around a backpack full of books, a student could have a single device that holds thousands of pages. Tourists could pack a small, self-illuminating source of reading material for weeks of reading on the beach.

Do I need special software to read an eBook?
Yes. Each eBook format requires either a special program or device. The Microsoft Reader eBooks (.lit) on this site can be read with Microsoft Reader, which is available for free at .

For more information on Microsoft Reader, click here. The PDF eBooks can be read with Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader, a free download available from the Adobe website.

What are some of the advantages of ebooks?
· Convenient size and storage. Portable ebook readers are no larger or heavier than many paperback books, and a single portable reader can hold up to dozens of books at a time. Road warriors can also read ebooks from a laptop computer or PDA.
· Backlighting. Reading in a dark bedroom or airplane.
· Adjustable type size. No need for eyestrain! Many ebook platforms allow enlargement or reduction of text at will.
· Searching. Nearly all ebook platforms offer full-text search capability.
· Linking. As does the World Wide Web, ebooks take full advantage of the ability to move quickly between otherwise unconnected sections of text.
· Dictionary lookup. Several ebook platforms offer quick and easy dictionary lookup for unfamiliar words in an ebook.
· Annotation, bookmarking, and highlighting. Ebook platforms allow readers to write notes in their ebooks, save their place (or multiple places!), and highlight important sections. What's more, unlike paper books, marks in an ebook can be erased without leaving a trace or damaging the ebook.

Why all the different kinds of ebook files?
Print books come in different shapes and sizes, with different layouts and typefaces inside. The characteristics that lead to an excellent reading experience for a novel don't necessarily translate to other sorts of content, such as encyclopedias or cookbooks.

Just so, different eBook developers have focused on different needs and features in designing reading devices. Of necessity, this results in different ways of processing eBook content, and thus different files for download.

Several different software platforms for e-publishing have arisen, including those that can be read on certain PDA's. Microsoft's solution can be run on MS-compatible palmtops, laptops, and desktops, and Adobe's recent acquisition of Glassbook™ means that Glassbook™ publications can be read with the latest version of Adobe's popular Acrobat plug-in.

A third platform, RocketBook™, has only a few thousand titles available, in start contrast with the millions available in print.

Note that these are only three of the most commercially available platforms currently on the market. Different software and standards exist for other PDA's and operating systems, and a handful of other readers and dedicated devices have small percentages of the market share as well.

What does "accessibility" mean?
In an ebook context, accessibility refers to the usefulness of ebook data for use by print-disabled readers, such as the visually impaired or dyslexic. Ebooks offer these millions of readers the chance to read the same books as sighted readers without expensive adaptations or long delays.

What is Microsoft Reader?
Microsoft Reader is a free software application designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of paper.

Microsoft Reader is the first product to include ClearType display technology. ClearType greatly improves resolution on LCD screens to deliver a print-like display. Microsoft Reader also pays strict attention to the traditions and benefits of good typography. It offers a clean, uncluttered layout; ample margins; proper spacing, leading, and kerning; plus powerful tools for book marking, highlighting, and annotation.

What if I don't have Microsoft Reader?
Microsoft Reader is available as a free download from the Microsoft website.

What is Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader?
The free Adobe® Acrobat® eBook Reader™ enables you to read high-fidelity eBooks on your notebook or desktop computer without any special hardware. The reader software displays eBooks with the pictures, graphics, and rich fonts you've come to expect from printed books.

What if I don't have Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader?
Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader is available as a free download from the Adobe website