E-book - which is better?

In our time, there is a tendency when electronic versions of books are increasingly replacing paper editions, although many still prefer to flip through paper pages. These gadgets are an excellent option, for those who are going on vacation or on a long trip. With you you can take just a couple of paper works that take up a lot of space in a suitcase, and if you have an electronic version of the book, the entire library of the world is with you, and the weight is about 200 grams. In this article, we will look at what is an e-book, which is better, and make a rating of electronic books.

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E-book - what is this?

Electronic versions of books are the most perfect variant of classical paper data carriers. The development of software and modern technologies contributes to the active implementation of digital media in every industry. School books, cumbersome dictionaries, huge directories, sensational novels, journalistic works, children's fairy tales - all this literature is quietly loaded into the memory of the electronic device. The miniature size of this gadget has great opportunities.

Important! The qualitative model of the electronic version of the book does not tire the eyes and is able to work without a power source for a long time.

Pros

Consider the positive aspects of electronic book versions:

• The compact dimensions of an electronic device. It is very convenient to have a small gadget with you in your bag than to constantly pay attention to the size of a bulky book that occupies the entire free area of ​​the bag.
• The memory of electronic media allows you to store a large amount of information, so you always have all the necessary information at hand.
• The electronic version of the book is lightweight. On average, such a gadget weighs about 200 grams, which is a mere trifle compared to huge paper volumes.
• The modern gadget is a very practical option. You can adjust the different font size and lighting level of the screen.

Cons

The disadvantages of electronic devices include:

• Dependence of the electronic carrier from the charger and the power source. Thus, this device may require recharging at the most inopportune moment.
• This gadgets have a very fragile screen, so you need to carefully handle the electronic version of information and protect against unwanted falls, contact with water.

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How to choose an e-book?

How to choose the best e-book? In this process, you need to pay attention to many factors. Also, you need to determine in advance the functional capabilities of this device, since this affects certain parameters. Let's consider the basic characteristics.

Screen Type

Before you buy an electronic version of the book, first of all, you need to determine the type of screen. From this indicator will depend:

• high-quality image;
• the work time of the book;
• comfortable reading conditions.

There are two variants of displays that have their own variants, advantages and disadvantages.

E-ink( electronic paper / ink)

Technology of this kind resembles the usual option of printing on paper. The basis is microcapsules, which are filled with small granules of white and black. The electric field promotes the manifestation of a certain color scale. The power supply is discharged only when turning the pages, when the image on the screen changes.

Depending on the contrast ratio, there are several variants of E-ink technology:

• E-Ink SiPix - promotes a contrast ratio of 6: 1.The screen with this indicator can be found only in the old versions of the "readers", since it is discontinued.
• E-Ink VizPlex - this technology provides a contrast ratio of 7: 1.
• E-Ink Pearl - one of the new screen options with a contrast ratio of 10: 1.
• E-ink Pearl HD is an advanced version of the technology that provides improved contrast( 12: 1) and increased resolution up to 758x1024.
• E-ink Flex - the display is much stronger than other screens. It is equipped with a plastic substrate instead of a glass plate. Due to this, the screen is protected from deformation and insensitive to mechanical damage. Such screens have a resolution of 758x1024, and the applied contrast ratio is 10: 1.This technology is also called Mobius.
• E-ink triton - one of the newly created screen variants, which involves the use of electronic ink of different colors. Currently, the use of this technology is most successfully implemented only in one corporation - Ectaco jetBook color and Pocketbook Color Lux. Manufacturers do not rush to fill the market with color electronic versions of books, as users do not like the dimness of the image, and they prefer plain tablets.
• E-ink Carta - refers to a very high-quality display with a black and white image, which has a contrast ratio of at least 15: 1( if you compare the visual point of view, then the image quality is twice the E-Ink Pearl, so these e-books are better).

The main advantages of this type of screen:

• Even bright sunlight does not cause glare and flicker on the screen;
• Extended period( about two weeks) of autonomous work;
• compact battery - contributes to ease of construction;
• Can be read under any slope, as the viewing angle is 180 degrees;
• Uses the minimum amount of energy, because it is consumed only to change the page;
• Characterized by the use of menus and Wi-Fi;
• There is no distance between the pixels, and therefore our eyes are comfortable to view the image;
• Has an affordable price factor.

Screens of type E-Ink also have a number of drawbacks:

• The response time is relatively high( up to 500 ms);
• Not equipped with the ability to display animation and video;
• There is an aging screen, which consists of a 10 million upgrade, which is 5 years of regular reading process;
• Has low contrast of the image;
• Black-and-white version or presence of a small number of shades;

Important! You can read these gadgets only with the use of external lighting.

LCD display( LCD, LCD).

Tablets, phones, televisions, laptops also have a flat screen, which consists of liquid crystals. The glow of the display comes from the inside due to the appearance of matrix gaps. In addition, there is a constant process of updating the screen, which leads to a regular flickering effect.

There are two main options for LCD display:

• TFT - a device with this type of screen is suitable for work in rooms with insufficient lighting, but in bright sun it is difficult to read. The viewing angle is only 160 degrees. If you look at this gadget from the side, the image is not visible. But when the version of the book with a TFT-display is perfectly visible color images, video, listen to music and have the opportunity to communicate in social networks.
• IPS is one of the advanced types of TFT technology. This option is still not well enough read in the sun and every day requires recharging. But the viewing angle has increased to 180 degrees and the quality of transmitted colors has improved.

To understand which e-book is better, you need to evaluate their advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of this type of screen include:

• presence of fast response( less than 8 ms);
• long service life;
• availability of video browsing capability;
• presence of convenient Internet surfing;
• there is the possibility of backlighting( some E-ink models also have this function);
• presence of bright color scale;
• presence of a high update rate facilitates the possible viewing of the illustration;
• presence of possible adjustment of screen brightness.

Among the shortcomings of LCD displays should be highlighted:

• bright lighting causes the impossibility of reading;
• viewing angle is 180 degrees( many models have 160);
• low screen resolution leads to not very convenient reading;
• if you need to read a lot, you will have to constantly recharge the electronic device, because there is a rapid depletion of the battery;
• if the brightness of the screen is not adjusted, then fast eye fatigue occurs.

Important! The electronic version of the book with LCD is an ordinary tablet. This kind of promotes the ability to listen to music, check mail and watch movies in between readings.

"Readers" with a screen that consists of electronic ink, are an ideal option for acquiring a gadget just for the reading process. E-ink is characterized by the effect of this paper and allows you to save on the purchase of paper books.

Diagonal screen

The fundamental factor in purchasing an electronic version of the book is the screen size. The quality of the image and the convenient location of the text on the display depend on the resolution, not on the size. So, an electronic medium that has a small diagonal and good resolution, can display on one page the amount of text that is displayed on a large screen at a low resolution.

Important! For human eyes, the best electronic book should have such parameters:

• diagonal 5-6 inches;
• display resolution of 320 x 460 pixels.

The large screen is justified for those users who use the gadget to view the pages of magazines. In this case, an electronic device is selected which makes it possible to read normally even with the changed scale of the given text, and the ideal option is to have a high resolution. In addition, the screen of electronic media should have an anti-reflective coating, a wide viewing angle, have the ability to change the brightness and contrast.

Important! In bright light, the anti-reflective coating provides normal reading, and the viewing angle affects the comfort of using the electronic version of the book. The larger the screen size, the greater the size of this angle. If the reading angle is small and the screen is large, then when reading it is necessary to constantly change the position, which is not entirely convenient.

If the monitors have illumination, then for such screens it will be very important to change the brightness and contrast. The color background is set, based on personal preferences, and, white background is preferable, because it is much better perceived image.

Diagonal screen affects the degree of compactness of the book:

• to 5 inches - is a pocket option, which is convenient to take with you on vacation and business trips;
• 6-7 inches - suitable for people who like to read a lot;
• more than 8 inches - you can use the ability to comfortably browse large pages, and this is a convenient option for those who constantly work with pdf-files.

Backlight

All books with a built-in TFT screen, as well as some models with electronic ink, are backlit.

Important! The latter option is very convenient, since the backlight is projected onto the screen and no fatigue of the eyes occurs. Such models are much more expensive.

Among the models there is a wide variety of options with illumination. But still, it's better to choose such an option of an e-book that does not have a highlight. There are a lot of such models.

Device management

The electronic device can be controlled by a sensor or buttons. With electronic versions of books, the qwerty keyboard is increasingly disappearing, and the keys are smaller. Since the purpose of the electronic version of the book is reading, the control process is carried out with the help of several buttons, and it is very simple and convenient.

Progress in progress promotes the dissemination of sensory versions of books, but frequent touching the screen results in the display becoming quickly dirty. In this issue it is difficult to say which e-book is better, because everything depends on personal preferences.

Color screen

Color screen is present in electronic versions of books with the presence of TFT screen, as well as in some models E-Ink. But in the latter, all the colors are dim enough, since such devices require improvement.

Important! The black-and-white version of the book with electronic ink perfectly copes with its functions, so it is not necessary to overpay for the color version.

Supported formats

One of the important parameters is the ability of the electronic version of books to recognize as many formats as possible:

The average electronic device is able to "read" about ten formats.

More expensive versions work with almost all that exist. Among them you can identify the main: fb2, mobi, pdf, doc, djvu, etc.

Important! If you look at it, you do not need a lot of variety, because the availability of converter programs helps you get the right format.

The amount of memory

Unquestionably an important indicator is the amount of memory, but not so critical. There are electronic media with built-in memory of 1 GB and 8 GB, and there is the possibility of expansion with a special memory card.

Important! We must understand that such a huge amount of gigabytes is unlikely to be useful somewhere, since the weight of one book is only 1 MB.Therefore, it is not necessary to purchase a gadget with a high memory value.

Battery capacity

The battery of the electronic book is a very important indicator. It affects the autonomous operation of the electronic device for days and weeks.

Devices with electronic ink can work long without recharging, they are enough for about 5 000-15 000 flips. Moreover, it will not be one, but several books read. That's why many believe that this e-book is better. This option is quite suitable for holidays, where you do not need to look for where and how to charge an electronic device.

Important! Books with TFT-screen require recharging after 11-12 hours of continuous reading, so you need to always have a charger with you and connect the book to the power network in time.

Weight of the device

Buying an electronic version of the book, you need to take into account both the weight and size. To do this, you need to decide where the book will be read:

• A large model is suitable for a home environment.
• But if you read in public transport, when you go to work or in parks, when you go for walks, you need to consider how comfortable it is to hold in your hand for a long time, whether it can fit in a bag.

Evaluating these criteria, you can easily determine the weight and size of the electronic device.

Ability to access the Internet

All modern versions of e-books can stroll through the network and go to the electronic library. Sellers do not warn the buyer about the convenience of surfing the Internet.

Important! In most cases, the sites are not adapted to use on these devices. Electronic media based on Android( for example, Onyx Boox) have the ability to download applications from the Play Store.

Another useful function using the Internet is synchronous work with the Dropbox account and a direct possibility to download books from there.

Important! Also very good, if there is a built-in Wi-Fi module, where you can go online and from there download books. This is not the most important parameter.

Additional Features

The presence of built-in speakers, music player, built-in recorder, the presence of radio determines the additional characteristics of electronic versions of books. Each for himself personally regards what additional functions are needed, therefore, in this issue it is necessary to focus on personal needs and preferences.

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Rating of the best electronic books

Today a huge variety of electronic books is offered, so it is very difficult to immediately navigate and understand which model is needed. In order to simplify the process of finding the most suitable device, consider the rating of the best e-books.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

This book is the leader in the modern market of electronic books. Such a device is very easy to hold in one hand and turn over pages. In addition, there is the opportunity to support the Japanese, Chinese alphabet.

The main characteristics of this model:

• diagonal is 6 inches;
• screen resolution 1024 * 758 pixels, E-Ink Carta display with backlight;
• 16 shades of gray;
• is controlled by a capacitive sensor;
• 4 GB of memory;
• supports basic text formats;
• has the option of built-in browser and Wi-Fi, so you can easily go online;
• battery for 1420 mAh;
• can be operated without recharging for up to 8 weeks;
• reading this book does not tire the eyes.

Sony Reader PRS-T3

This e-book has a perfect screen E-Ink Pearl, which gives the impression of reading plain paper. Without recharging, you can read about 2 months on average. There is an opportunity to use popular Internet resources: Google and Wikipedia.

Important! A distinctive feature of this model is the presence of a built-in cover, which if closed, then the book turns off, and upon opening - the recitation is resumed.

The book allows you to use an interpreter and find incomprehensible words in the explanatory dictionary. This model can be safely entered into the category of the best electronic book.

Main specifications:

• diagonal 6 inches;
• screen resolution is 1024 * 758 pixels, E-Ink Pearl display, no backlight;
• 16 grayscale;
• control with infrared sensor;
• memory has a capacity of 2 GB, there is the possibility of expanding to 32 GB;
• presence of the module Wi-Fi;
• supports the main formats;
• battery for 1000 mAh.

PocketBook Color Lux

This book is color. Although it is not completely perfected, but for fans of color images of pictures and magazines - an ideal option. This model has large dimensions, so it must be held with both hands. Without recharge can last up to 4 weeks.

Main specifications:

• diagonal 8 inches;
• screen resolution is 800 * 600 pixels, E-Ink display with backlight;
• 16 grayscale and additionally the presence of a color screen at 4096 colors;
• touch control;
• 4 GB of internal memory, expandable memory card up to 32 GB;
• ability to maintain the main formats;
• Wi-Fi module and built-in browser;
• availability of audio player, calculator and calendar;
• battery for 3000 mAh.

In this article, we conducted a detailed analysis of important technical characteristics and types of electronic books, compiling in the end a rating of the best models according to reviews of specialists and users. We hope, based on the information received, you can now very quickly determine which e-book is better for you.