Earthblog

Whether you like it or not we are about to be overwhelmed with choices again. No not a new cell phone or gaming device, it is now the E-readers time to shine.

The e-reader is a multi purpose tool that enables users to read books or magazines in electronic format.  With the introduction of the latest and greatest the ipad by Apple expected to be launched at the end of March, consumers are about to hold witness to the next push of consumer electronics.

“I pretty much can not wait until I can get my hands on one of these bad boys,” said Brian Desantis when asked if he would be purchasing the New Apple Ipad. Desantis is a self proclaimed Apple geek owning various types of Apple products. “ I think it’s going to change the way we look at entertainment’” said Desantis.

Available in various options like most Apple products the ipad will offer a wifi and 3g-network connection to the Internet. This will allow fast upload speeds and continues workflow of Apple’s “applications” product line.

Photo courtesy: Apple USA

The new Ipad Brings colour to the bleak world of e-readers.

The E-readers that are out in the market such as the kindle by Amazon and the Nook by Barnes and Noble currently do not match the capabilities of the ipad. Apple is marketing their reader as a “magical Device” that does much more than an E-reader. Not everyone is excited about the Ipad though and some doubt the e-reader is a replacement for the old tested and true paperback.

“I wont get one, I think they are overrated and hard to read’” said Joanna Innes. To me I think the paperback will always be king, paper is much easier to read.” said Innes.

Ranging from $250 all the way up to $600 for some of the top of the line models. You then have to include the price of the electronic copy of the book you want to read. These electronic copies can range anywhere from $2.99 to over $100. For some, being unable to hold in your hand what you paid for is too much.

“I don’t think I could buy something that I physically couldn’t hold in my hands, sure you have a copy of it but nothing you can physically put on a shelf,” said Innes.

The slim design of most of the E-readers on the market means you can put them in a briefcase or can easily carry them in a backpack. For students at school it could prove a first-rate device for carrying around a one-pound E-reader as apposed to 20 pounds of textbooks.

“I would buy an E-reader for this purpose alone, I have five text books I have to lug around in a huge bag,” said Ashley Morgan a student at the University of Calgary.

Thousands of books are now available with old favorites being electronically re-copied everyday. Textbooks, manuals and magazines are among the content that is being offered to consumers. Customers of ipads will be able to look at full colour images while reading articles that have imbedded links to websites. With these imbedded links you can look up more information or get a different take on news pertaining to what you are reading.

Although reading books on electronic screens is nothing new, some find the small screens of most cell phones hard to read for extended periods of time. “ The screen is just to small on my iphone to read long articles,” said Morgan.