Microsoft
Encarta dictionary defines a book as a collection of printed or manuscript
pages sewn or glued together along one side and bound between rigid boards or
flexible covers. It has over time taken different shapes and sizes but has
always maintained its major role as storage of information which entertains,
informs and educate the readers.
However,
with technological development came the introduction of electronic books better
known as E-books. Electronic books are portable computerized devices that allow
readers to download text and then read it, mark it up, and bookmark it. The
term e-book is also used to refer to the concept of a paperless book,
whether it is read on a specially designed e-book device, a personal digital
assistant (PDA), or a desktop, palm tops, lap tops, i-pads and even phones.
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| Paper Book, Going Out? |
E books are
easier to transfer unlike the paper books; it is more compact and can be saved
in flash disks and taken anywhere without the inconveniences the paper books
may give. For example, the E- format of the Encyclopedia Britannica weighs the
same size of any DVD unlike the paper format which is volumes of big books
which weights over 1000 times that of a DVD.
However,
the E-books unlike the paper books can get “corrupted” by computer viruses and
sometimes, computers can crash and all the files in it crashes along with it.
It also needs to be powered by electricity or by batteries which needs to be
charged to ensure regular power.
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| IPad, Telling Paper Book To Go Away? |
Many of the
respondents to the question of which was more preferable between Paper format
and E-Format of books I spoke to say that they prefer E-books because of it is
easy to access E – Books unlike the paper books. For example, to get a Bible
passage via the E-Bible is faster than on paper. When a Bible passage is
mentioned, even a novice is just a click away from whatever passage is being
searched for.
Another
notable plus the E-books possesses is that of mobility. With the E-book, the
user seemingly carries nothing at all because the literature or book is in a
virtual realm. E-books can be saved in removable storage facilities like Flash
drives, CDs, DVDs, Cameras and Phones.
E-books on
phones, PDAs or laptops can be viewed anywhere anytime And in countries which
do not have regular power supply, E-books are the best bet because reading
E-books on phones does not require immediate electric power supply.
However,
some publishing executives interviewed assert that with the entire plus and
advantages the E-book brings, Nigeria is not yet ready to imbibe the E -book
technology due to so factors which irregular power supply is major.
 | |
| Learning To Forget Paper Books? |
From
the 20th century, technological devices such as computers, the
electronic media, movies, and the CD ROMs challenged books as means of
communication. However, because books are so easy to carry and care for, they
remained a primary means for dissemination of knowledge, for instruction and
pleasure in skills and arts, and for the recording of experience, whether real
or imagined.
Electronic
books can store the same amount of information found in ten or more paper
books, and they also offer some of the prime advantages of paper books. Many
people believe that as e-books develop further in the early 21st century, they
will challenge paper books in a way than ever experienced.
Some of the
questions that would definitely crop are these, what will happen to Newspapers
like we know today; baring in mind that many of them already have their
e-formats? What will happen to textbooks in the primary, secondary school and
tertiary institutions?
However,
Nigeria will have to improve in terms of Electrical Power and in the aspect of
improvement in the education sector in order not to be left out in the next
generation of books.
Now, would
you rather read the E-book or the Paper book?
