An introduction to ebooks
What is an ebook?
An ebook is a digital file which contains the same contents as the equivalent physical book. The key difference is that rather than being printed on paper, the data is digital. This - usually (see DRM for the caveat) - comes with some serious advantages:
- Ebooks can be read on many different electronic devices (e.g. your computer, your smartphone, your tablet, or dedicated ereaders).
- Creating copies (for your different devices or as backups) is easy, cheap and instantaneous.
- If you’re an avid reader (who buys their books), your environmental footprint is smaller with ebooks.
What are all those formats?
As is often the case with digital files, they can come in different
formats. Think of spreadsheets, for example. Those come as .csv files, as
.xls(x) files, or .ods files.
In case of ebooks, not all formats are supported by all devices / reader
software. As a general rule, try to stick with .epub as it is the most
widely supported format; not only for reading but also for converting to
other formats.
What is DRM?
See our article on DRM.
How do I manage my ebook collection?
One word: Calibre.
Do I need an ereader?
Not necessarily, as ebooks can be read on computers, smartphones and tablets, too. But getting a dedicated ebook reader is certainly worthwhile to consider as they come with many advantages:
- eye-friendly and energy efficient e-ink displays with long (!) battery lifetimes
- screen sizes comparable to average book pages
Is there FLOSS reader software for ereaders?
Yes! You can install Koreader or Plato on supported ereader devices.
Where else can I get help?
Common questions regarding ebooks are addressed on The Epubizer. This blog post also covers quite a bit of ground.