If you’re new to ebooks, here are different ways for you to store, open and view your digital library:
1. PC or laptop
You can open your ebooks on your PC or laptop using special applications that are dedicated to reading electronic books or a particular document format. Depending on the filetype of your ebook, you can read it like an actual book with two pages on the screen or just like a normal document. You can open PDF and HTML formats in your browser or on Adobe Reader. MOBI, EPUB and LIT files can be opened on Calibre. This software is also great for managing your entire ebook collection.
2. Tablet PC
Thanks to a tablet‘s screen, you can view books, comics and other illustrated texts in something more mobile than your desktop or laptop. Again, it depends on the kind of file you want to open which mobile apps are best for viewing and reading. The iPad has a native app called iBooks where you can read PDF and EPUB files. Apps like Kindle can read any ebook file type except for EPUB. If you plan on reading comics, you can download ComicFlow so you can also manage your comics in an organized library. If you need to read DOC files, you may have to get a virtual office app that lets you view and edit office documents.
3. Smartphone
Yes, you can add ebook reader to one of the many roles and functions your smartphone performs. Reading electronic books on your device gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘pocket book’. You may even call your collection of ebooks a ‘pocket library’ if you happen to store all of them on your iPhone or android phone. Usually, you can use the same apps on a tablet for the same function on your smartphone. iBooks still works on an iPhone and so do the Kindle app, ComicFlow and Kobo. If you don’t want to be interrupted while reading books since you are using your phone, install apps and services like RingCentral that can do call forwarding to a different phone you use.
4. Ebook reader
The examples above are mostly multi-functional devices that incidentally let you open and read your ebooks because they can do a lot of other things. An ebook reader, on the other hand, functions primarily as a device to read digital texts and anything else it is incidentally. The Kindle, which is one of the first ebook readers ever made, can open certain file types and surf the web, mostly to purchase more books directly on the device. Similar devices are the Nook and the Kobo. They all use E-ink, which is different from LED or LCD screens in that it emulates paper. This means that the screen doesn’t glare or give off it’s own light. Ebook readers usually use very little power unless you’re connected to the internet all the time. You can also purchase cases that have built-in reading lights.
