8 kinds of e-books: functions, features, advantages

Books accompany a person throughout life, are considered to be a source of knowledge and entertainment. People of the 21st century readers everywhere: at home, at work, on vacation, on the way to the office. Along with the classic paper version of the common e-books, or readers.

In the age of the active development of information technology people download artistic, technical texts, scientific or journalistic literature in digital form over the Internet without leaving home. Only read digital text on a computer or laptop hard: tired eyes, body. e-books - is therefore a separate type of mobile electronic devices designed for reading books in digital format.

as paper

E-book is essentially a tablet mobile device designed exclusively for reading. Unlike tablets, whose tasks are similar to computer, reader - a highly specialized device that simulates the paper edition.

The technology works "paper" to read the text in digital format is fundamentally different from the tablet screen. Unlike LCD screens in the "electronic paper" technology is implemented, reminding electronic ink and called E-Ink.

The operating principle of E-Ink based on the electrophoresis phenomenon (moving particles under the influence of an electric field). This phenomenon is used for the reader in a digital format based on the displacement of the electric field of hard pigment particles present within the microspheres.

By applying an electrical voltage to said point of dyed particles are moved in the right direction. As a result, the surface of the "paper" (on the screen) displays the point. By utilizing this effect monoizobrazheniya drawing a clear, bright, because the microcapsule move pigmented particles of the same color.

This technology allowed to create mobile devices that are different from the tablet. Creating two or four control electrode microspheres prepared subpixels, which determines the control amount of pigment that changed position.

Thus realized gradation color management principle. Technologically, the number of shades in black and white e-paper is limited to 16 th tones.

Image resolution in E-Ink technology approaches the LCD values ​​and is in the best models 300 dpi (dots per inch), but in contrast and image quality is inferior plates. Depending on the production technology in high contrast monochrome display is 15: 1.

The basic difference of e-books:

• the display, as in the paper, continuously (not flashing) and is seen in reflected light, and not emitted as tablets;
• a long time without recharging. It reaches one week as opposed to a LCD screen devices;
• less weight with respect to tablet computers.

The operating principle of E-Ink is that disabling voltage pigment particles are retained in the same state by the effect of Van der Waals forces. The energy expended on the work screen is only used to change the image, the change of polarization in the microspheres to move the pigment particles. Hours due to the number of "page turning".

Due to the minimal energy costs reader uses e-book as usual. The number of "page turning" is from 3 to 25 thousand.

The E-Ink technology reveals one shortcoming: the relatively low speed of image shift, a maximum of 4 frames per second. Video and moving images is technically impossible to watch, as can be seen flickering.

However, for the book, which is created as read-only, it is permissible and does not cause inconvenience to the user. Time in this case is not a critical factor when readers leaf through the paper page printing of the book, they also spend time.

Since the beginning of the manufacture of digital readers to read, has developed three generations of screens of electronic books.

The first generation of e-paper, on which was a massive release, issued on the basis of VizPlex technology. The family of readers, which are created by this technology, supports 16 shades of gray, but have a low contrast of 7: 1.

Second-generation "electronic paper" manufacturers improved performance time image and contrast change.

It includes the following technologies:

• Pearl - Contrast ratio 10: 1;
• Pearl HD - improved Pearl Technology, contrast increased to 12: 1;
• Mobius - by using the substrate on the basis of plastic instead of glass, the screens that are produced by this technology, resistant to deformation and impact. The plastic base allows even folding screens that are based on this technology. The contrast of 10: 1.
• Carta - This technology allows to obtain the best display contrast of 15: 1 and a resolution of 300 dpi.

By the third generation include color e-books. two technologies are designed to ensure that the display color text and graphics:

• Triton 1 - the technology is capable of displaying up to 4096 colors. Contrast ratio 10: 1. Formation pixel occurs CMYK color formation technology.
• Triton 2 - 1 as Triton 4096 displays color contrast of 10: 1. the pixel color is formed on the RGB color forming technology.

Color e-book reader

What if the text contains a digital color images or multicolor charts? Black-and-white e-paper they look either featureless or merge into a single entity.

Manufacturers have found a solution that allows you to correctly display color images. The technology of its formation is based on E-Ink. Color images are due to the imposition of color filters on monochrome display.

As mentioned above, experts have created two technologies form a color image:

• based on RGB (like LCD displays);
• based on CMYK.

The technology RGB color pixels are divided into three segments: the blue, red and green. CMYK technology creates the desired color by combining cyan, magenta, yellow, and white.

Unlike tablets number of displayed colors used to display digital text, color gradations is 4096 when low contrast of 10: 1. But color screens manufacturing technology is not inferior to monochrome and up to resolution 200 dpi.

Electronic books with additional software functions

In addition to the basic functions of some models of readers are equipped with additional functions. They are useful for users who want to get in one solution the functionality of portable mobile library.

These are the following features:

• 3G technology - provides data transfer through networks of mobile operators. The device connects to the Internet and the user downloads the interest of its content: books, publications, music or news files. Data is transferred at a satisfactory rate 14 Mbit / s.
• FM-radio - in the reader rare as to ensure high-quality reception of radio signal is difficult: in e-books is not a radio antenna. The plug headphones used as the last. The advantage of the solution is that the radio requires less energy consumption than listening to audio files on the memory card.
• QWERTY-keyboard - turns the reader into a mini-computer: the reader is using it to find the right information across a network or within the e-book. Lack of solutions - increasing the size reader that does not please people who constantly use the device.
• Bluetooth - Provides a wireless connection to the reader computers, tablets, laptops. This function is used to transfer files to a distance of three to four meters.
• Automatically change the screen orientation - multiformat useful reading literature (books, articles, magazines) or viewing charts, graphs, tables. Welcomed by users who have to change the display orientation from portrait to landscape and vice versa. Not satisfied with those who like to read lying down, since the change of body position and the picture will change.
• digital Voice recorder - Built-in card reader. Use this function in the rare, though, and replaces standalone recorder. Sound is recorded in the electronic book files through built-in microphone.
• Transfer of textual information via the built-in speakers - is designed to solve problems of visually impaired people or users who are willing to listen to the text in special situations (when there is no light, driving, etc.)
• Touch a highly sensitive display - used as an alternative to the usual buttons on the control panel. By modifying the reader size reduced, it becomes portable. Work with the screen is carried out by means of a stylus in order to preserve the original characteristics of the screen.

E-books with backlight

In a situation where natural or artificial lighting there, but you need to read, readers are used to backlight. Since E-Ink technology is based on reflection rather than on the emission of light, for e-book need an additional light source.

There are two ways to solve the problem of lack of light:

• Compact external light source;
• built-in book illumination housing.

Developers reader equipped with accessories external light sources with LEDs. They are connected to the usb-port.

It is important to take into account two characteristics that appear when you use connected to the usb-port external light sources:

• additional energy consumption battery discharges rapidly;
• Not all digital books supports external light sources.

The developers of the models equipped with built-in LED lighting. The essence of this technology - in embedding LEDs in the screen on the perimeter of the electronic paper. Coated with a special reflective interlayer composition screen reflects light emitted from the LEDs.

Due to this special plate uniformly scattered light and not affecting the health of the eye as directed radiation LCD screens. The screen brightness is adjusted according to the need.

All-format e-books

E-books - is a mini computers that are based on identical components (processor, memory, peripherals). readers management is implemented on the basis of a full-featured operating systems. Functions of the digital file processing are performed to the extent that some laid manufacturer.

Ebooks perform functions within software such as Linux platforms (Android or species) and WindowsMobile.

Using a full-fledged operating system designed to work with large numbers of files and provides the reader with the following functions:

• display text in several formats (file permissions);
• view image files;
• listen to audio audiobooks (playback of the audio files);
• work with the archive file.

In addition to the common file formats, manufacturers have developed their own, used for digital libraries and readers.

The following commonly occurring text formats (file permissions) for digital text:

1. TXT (.txt) - and primitive common test format comprising minimum means for formatting (tab, blank);
2. HTML (.html, .htm) - HTML (HypertextMarkupLanguage) - web-page markup technology;
3. CHM (.chm) - CHM (MicrosoftCompressed HTML Help) - context-sensitive help files to Microsoft, realized on the basis of the HTML standard;
4. DOC (.doc, .docx) - files created in Microsoft Word text editor;
5. XLS (.xls, .xlsx) - files created in Microsoft Exel spreadsheet editor;
6. RTF (.rtf) - RichTextFormat - free text format proposed by Adobe and Microsoft as a cross-platform and based on meta tag data storage structure;
7. DjVu (.djvu) - digital documents, implemented on the basis of storage of compressed images. It used to store scanned texts. It is effective for files containing images, handwriting and complex formulas;
8. EPub (.epub) - a file format designed specifically for e-readers. Epub file with the extension - this is an archive that contains a set of files in various formats (HTML, PDF, etc.), with the description in XML;
9. FB2 (.fb2) - FictionBook documents built on XML-based documents. FictionBook compatibility with different computer solutions;
10. PDF (.pdf) - a format developed by Adobe Systems for cross-platform document transfer. It is a combination of textual information, vector and raster graphics.

E-books support text and common graphics files.

Popular formats:

• BMP;
• JPEG;
• PNG;
• TIFF.

Modern mobile solutions for reading supports playback of audio files, listen to music and audio books.

Device that plays music, support the following audio files:

• MP3 (.mp3) - common format reproduces both mono and stereo sound.
• AAC (.aac) - AdvancedAudioCoding, file format with the audio coding quality higher than that of MP3, with the same size files.

Working with archived files - one of the all-format reader features. To load several books one file or one large compression to acceptable sizes used archiver. Models of digital readers with enhanced functionality work (unpack) ZIP files format.

Manufacturing companies are developing their own e-book formats to be different from competitors.

Specialized producers formats:

• LRF (.lrf, .lrx) - a file format, a licensed manufacturer for BBeB, known as BroadBandeBook. Data on the text, images, formatting and pagination are stored in a binary compressed form.
• PalmDOC - compressed document format, designed for reading on laptops with PalmOS operating system.
• WOLF - basic format supported solutions lBook.
• Mobi (.mobi) - documents of this format supports the decision Kindle family.
• LIT (.lit) - a format supported by the Group's operating system WindowsMobile.

Manufacturers of electronic books do not support digital formats competitors. To transfer digital text reader to another brand, readers are specialized programs-transcoder. With the help of these programs is performed to convert the license into a common file format.

E-books with Wi-Fi

E-books support connection to a network wirelessly Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi technology in mobile solutions IEEE 802.11 standard supports a / b / n / g, transmitting data up to 54 Mbit / s. This feature simplifies the process of downloading digital texts from your computer.

If the browser functionality is present, it becomes possible to downloading of books in digital format from online stores. Given the proliferation of Wi-Fi in public areas, wireless network option allows you to easily connect to digital resources via the public network.

In addition to the digital reader-books, thanks to Wi-Fi, with a program aggregator may receive RSS-news mailing list. RSS (RichSiteSummary) provides information from news feeds, downloading information from news sources in XML format.

screen Sizes

Screen sizes in inches measured diagonally. Electronic books are produced with different screen sizes: compact 4.3 "(inches) and larger 10". Solutions to 5 "and 6" screen easy to wear, they are easy to read unformatted to Page.

Information in PDF and DjVu on solutions to the small diagonal hard to read. Therefore popular digital books with a 7 ", 8", 9.7 ". The market offers models with basic and additional functions.

E-books with a screen 7 "

Electronic books have a diagonal measurement data 600h2014 resolution pixels. Size 7 "is not large enough and not easy to read formatted documents. To view the need to use zoom to fit a page of text to fit the screen size.

With a diagonal of 7 "issued only monochrome EInk. Small screen size is convenient to carry, but often does not satisfy the user with special requests to the image size. Inconvenient to use seven-inch reader for viewing charts, graphs, drawings, diagrams, etc.

E-books with screen 8 "

In contrast, 7 ", 8" can read text fragments formatted for A4 size sheet.

Depending on the type of screen provides the following resolutions:

• 600x800 pixels;
• 768h1024 pixels;
• 1200h1600 pixels.

With a diagonal of 8 "in addition to producing monochrome books with color screen. Conveniently use such readers, as observed for the usual traditional book sheet size.

E-books with a screen 10 "

Devices with a diagonal exactly 10 "do not produce. So usually denoted by e-books with a diagonal of 9.7 ".

They display larger than the others and have screen resolutions:

• 825h1200 pixels;
• 1200h1600 pixels.

With a diagonal of 10 "in addition to monochrome colored books available. They are convenient to view three-dimensional charts, graphs, diagrams. Such books are suitable for visually impaired people, as due to formatting, you can achieve an acceptable image and the font size.

E-books due to its characteristics able to replace the home libraries. One unit contains thousands of books and distributing them to directories for the user. search and management functions are provided in order to locate a file with a book, bookmark, tagging.