Generation E...E-book, that is.
In 2005, over 99 million TONS of paper and paperboard were used in the United States alone (source: http://www.epa.gov/ne/green/paperuse.html). The amount of junk mail, fliers, books and so on require massive amounts of paper to be generated--and only a fraction of that is ever recycled.
But in recent years, many IT departments have begun moving to a "paperless" environment. ISO standards call for reduction or removal of printed materials from the workplace--all data is stored online and accessed electronically, ensuring that data is always up-to-date. Even bulk mailers are getting more environmentally friendly, choosing to overload your email inbox instead of your physical mailbox, inadvertently saving paper in the process.
But what about books? Sure, books in digital format have existed for years. But reading on a bright, backlit monitor can be a pain. Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time can be exhausting, and the desire to go check out a favorite website or forum is very distracting when using your computer as a replacement for the book.
All that has changed in the last few years with the advancements in digital ink technology. Digital ink, or E-ink, uses polarized capsules of ink instead of electronic pixels. Because the ink always exists (rather than having to constantly be flashed on a screen), no power is used while the ink just "sits there" dormant. An e-ink screen that is unplugged from its source will display the same picture it had while plugged in, and will hold that screen indefinitely. Because of the small amount of power needed (a single refresh every minute or so to turn a page instead of refreshing 60 or more times a second on common LCD screens), e-ink readers can last for up to ten days or more on a single battery charge.
But power usage isn't why e-ink is threatening to knock printed books off their pedestal as the standby for reading. Because e-ink does not use any form of light to transmit its display, it does not give the traditional eye strain you'd expect from a computer monitor. In reality, it is difficult to distinguish e-ink from a piece of newsprint with text on it. It looks like paper, yet produces none of the waste that paper does.
I've been using the Barnes and Noble Nook 3g for about the last ten months. It is a very impressive piece of technology, and I have around 50 books stored in it. It is about the size of a very thin paperback novel, and weighs about as much. It has a replaceable battery that lasts for 10 days on a single charge (and takes just a couple hours to charge back to full power), holds 2 gigabytes of internal memory (enough for a couple hundred books depending on their format), and supports external micro SD cards for virtually unlimited storage.
The nook has some interesting extras--Chess and a web browser, for example. But these are completely unnecessary. It does its job well, and for about $100 to $150 the price is very reasonable. Books can be downloaded over the internet anywhere you have an internet connection (or on the 3g model, anywhere you would normally have Verizon service). Most books cost about $10 (including hardback books that may cost up to $30 for a non-digital version). Most importantly, you can shop from the convenience of your home and hold a library of text on a device that can almost fit in your pocket (and can, if you have really BIG pockets!).
Digital ink is sweeping the country right now. Eastern Kentucky University, my alma mater, has partnered with Barnes and Noble to offer digital versions of many textbooks. Students can walk into the Barnes and Noble store, buy a digital version of their book, and download it right there--for about half the price of a physical book. Just two or three e-books in a single semester is enough to pay for the device. Even more importantly, you won't have to carry around dozens of pounds of heavy books from class to class.
What about note-taking, you ask? The Nook has an excellent note-taking feature. You can highlight passages of text, add bookmarks and add your own notations on any book you are reading. To make your studying even easier, you are able to "check out" books when in range of Barnes and Noble stores--reading books from your Nook any time you are in a Barnes and Noble store. If your friend has a Nook with a book you are interested in, you don't even have to buy it--simply have him "lend" it using the book lending feature, and it is temporarily moved to your device (and disabled on his) for up to two weeks.
If you're into audiobooks, the nook also has an onboard MP3 player. It doesn't play WMA files, unfortunately, but as mentioned before the extra features are really just bonuses and aren't used by most Nook users.
Barnes and Noble has recently released the Nook Color--an Android-based tablet that is locked in to act as a backlit version of a Nook--but I doubt I'll consider it. The original Nook is perfect just as it is. It is inexpensive, lasts for over a week, and gives you everything you'd get in a printed book--except maybe the fresh book smell.
Amazon and Sony both have their own version of the E-ink readers as well, and some lesser-known names have recently come out with similar models. The Sony, Amazon and Nook versions are all quite powerful and feature-rich, and should do the job well. If you're a student, it's probably best to go with the Nook (especially if your college has a B&N campus bookstore). It supports a few more formats than the Amazon Kindle, at the expense of potentially being a bit slower on page turns.
Regardless of which one you pick, I highly encourage all my readers to jump on the e-ink bandwagon. Remember that the average millionaire reads two non-fiction books a month. The best way to be successful is often to emulate the actions of those you want to be like. But if you're like me and don't have time to visit the library once a week, an E-ink reader is for you. It's good for the environment, friendly on the pocketbook, and it might just get you reading more than you have been in a long time.
But in recent years, many IT departments have begun moving to a "paperless" environment. ISO standards call for reduction or removal of printed materials from the workplace--all data is stored online and accessed electronically, ensuring that data is always up-to-date. Even bulk mailers are getting more environmentally friendly, choosing to overload your email inbox instead of your physical mailbox, inadvertently saving paper in the process.
But what about books? Sure, books in digital format have existed for years. But reading on a bright, backlit monitor can be a pain. Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time can be exhausting, and the desire to go check out a favorite website or forum is very distracting when using your computer as a replacement for the book.
All that has changed in the last few years with the advancements in digital ink technology. Digital ink, or E-ink, uses polarized capsules of ink instead of electronic pixels. Because the ink always exists (rather than having to constantly be flashed on a screen), no power is used while the ink just "sits there" dormant. An e-ink screen that is unplugged from its source will display the same picture it had while plugged in, and will hold that screen indefinitely. Because of the small amount of power needed (a single refresh every minute or so to turn a page instead of refreshing 60 or more times a second on common LCD screens), e-ink readers can last for up to ten days or more on a single battery charge.
But power usage isn't why e-ink is threatening to knock printed books off their pedestal as the standby for reading. Because e-ink does not use any form of light to transmit its display, it does not give the traditional eye strain you'd expect from a computer monitor. In reality, it is difficult to distinguish e-ink from a piece of newsprint with text on it. It looks like paper, yet produces none of the waste that paper does.
I've been using the Barnes and Noble Nook 3g for about the last ten months. It is a very impressive piece of technology, and I have around 50 books stored in it. It is about the size of a very thin paperback novel, and weighs about as much. It has a replaceable battery that lasts for 10 days on a single charge (and takes just a couple hours to charge back to full power), holds 2 gigabytes of internal memory (enough for a couple hundred books depending on their format), and supports external micro SD cards for virtually unlimited storage.
The nook has some interesting extras--Chess and a web browser, for example. But these are completely unnecessary. It does its job well, and for about $100 to $150 the price is very reasonable. Books can be downloaded over the internet anywhere you have an internet connection (or on the 3g model, anywhere you would normally have Verizon service). Most books cost about $10 (including hardback books that may cost up to $30 for a non-digital version). Most importantly, you can shop from the convenience of your home and hold a library of text on a device that can almost fit in your pocket (and can, if you have really BIG pockets!).
Digital ink is sweeping the country right now. Eastern Kentucky University, my alma mater, has partnered with Barnes and Noble to offer digital versions of many textbooks. Students can walk into the Barnes and Noble store, buy a digital version of their book, and download it right there--for about half the price of a physical book. Just two or three e-books in a single semester is enough to pay for the device. Even more importantly, you won't have to carry around dozens of pounds of heavy books from class to class.
What about note-taking, you ask? The Nook has an excellent note-taking feature. You can highlight passages of text, add bookmarks and add your own notations on any book you are reading. To make your studying even easier, you are able to "check out" books when in range of Barnes and Noble stores--reading books from your Nook any time you are in a Barnes and Noble store. If your friend has a Nook with a book you are interested in, you don't even have to buy it--simply have him "lend" it using the book lending feature, and it is temporarily moved to your device (and disabled on his) for up to two weeks.
If you're into audiobooks, the nook also has an onboard MP3 player. It doesn't play WMA files, unfortunately, but as mentioned before the extra features are really just bonuses and aren't used by most Nook users.
Barnes and Noble has recently released the Nook Color--an Android-based tablet that is locked in to act as a backlit version of a Nook--but I doubt I'll consider it. The original Nook is perfect just as it is. It is inexpensive, lasts for over a week, and gives you everything you'd get in a printed book--except maybe the fresh book smell.
Amazon and Sony both have their own version of the E-ink readers as well, and some lesser-known names have recently come out with similar models. The Sony, Amazon and Nook versions are all quite powerful and feature-rich, and should do the job well. If you're a student, it's probably best to go with the Nook (especially if your college has a B&N campus bookstore). It supports a few more formats than the Amazon Kindle, at the expense of potentially being a bit slower on page turns.
Regardless of which one you pick, I highly encourage all my readers to jump on the e-ink bandwagon. Remember that the average millionaire reads two non-fiction books a month. The best way to be successful is often to emulate the actions of those you want to be like. But if you're like me and don't have time to visit the library once a week, an E-ink reader is for you. It's good for the environment, friendly on the pocketbook, and it might just get you reading more than you have been in a long time.
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