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1 00:00:05:16 00:00:10:06 An e-reader is a terrific device for bookworms of all ages.
2 00:00:10:07 00:00:14:17 A basic e-reader can weigh less than a single
hardback book, 3 00:00:14:17 00:00:19:01 but can hold 100s
or even 1000s of books in digital form.
4 00:00:19:01 00:00:27:05 Now before you join the world of e-reading however, there are
some things that you should know. That's because, 5 00:00:27:05 00:00:32:20 like any technology,
an e-reader has pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses.
6 00:00:32:20 00:00:38:23 Let's start with the good news. An e-reader is very easy to
use: you choose the book, 7 00:00:38:23 00:00:45:11 read the text and
then press a button or tap the screen to turn the page, just like that.
8 00:00:45:11 00:00:50:11 And with a little practise you will be able to set bookmarks,
highlight passages, 9 00:00:50:11 00:00:53:17 and look words up
in a built-in dictionary. 10 00:00:53:17 00:01:00:23 Another good aspect
is that most books are just text, so they use up very little storage space.
11 00:01:00:24 00:01:09:14 Your e-reader will be able to store 100s of books at once, all
of them just a button press or screen tap away.
12 00:01:09:15 00:01:16:04 Your collection will stay on your e-reader as long as you
want, even if the battery goes flat. 13 00:01:16:05 00:01:19:05 You should be able
to avoid this pretty easily though, 14 00:01:19:05 00:01:24:06 because many e-readers
can last for weeks on one charge.
15 00:01:24:06 00:01:33:04 Here's another big bonus: if your e-reader is broken, lost
or stolen it can be easy to get all your books back again.
16 00:01:33:05 00:01:40:22 In most cases you just need to log into the online account you
used to buy your books in the first place, 17 00:01:40:22 00:01:44:01 and reload them
onto your replacement e-reader. 18 00:01:44:01 00:01:51:06 No insurance claim,
no waiting. Your online account even remembers where you were up to in the story.
19 00:01:51:07 00:01:58:13 You buy ebooks to put on your e-reader from online stores,
so you will need access to the internet. 20 00:01:58:13 00:02:03:00 Some e-readers
can connect to the internet via a free mobile data service,
21 00:02:03:00 00:02:08:06 though you need and account and a credit card of course
to buy a new book. 22 00:02:08:06 00:02:17:02 Which brings us
to pricing. E-books tend to be cheaper than the same book in print and can even cost
less than half. 23 00:02:17:03 00:02:25:10 Finally, some e-readers
can browse basic internet sites like the news and weather. Again you might not even have
24 00:02:25:10 00:02:31:00 to pay for this if you have a model that uses a free
mobile data connection. 25 00:02:31:00 00:02:37:14 Now we come to
the less good news. The biggest limitation of e-readers today
26 00:02:37:14 00:02:42:00 is that not every title is available as an ebook.
27 00:02:42:00 00:02:45:08 It's got to do with publisher deals here in Australia.
28 00:02:45:09 00:02:50:23 Things are improving though, and more titles are being released
digitally all the time. 29 00:02:50:23 00:02:55:17 But you will still
find the odd book you want is only available on paper.
30 00:02:55:17 00:03:00:18 Do you do a lot of book-swapping? When you buy ebooks they're
linked to 31 00:03:00:18 00:03:04:06 your online account
with the store you bought them from. 32 00:03:04:06 00:03:10:00 This means you
usually can't lend an ebook to a friend, swap it or even sell it.
33 00:03:10:00 00:03:15:24 The only real way to share ebooks with friends and family apart
from lending them your e-reader 34 00:03:15:24 00:03:19:14 is to give them
access to your online account. 35 00:03:19:14 00:03:24:12 This allows them
to use their own e-reader to enjoy ebooks you've bought.
36 00:03:24:13 00:03:31:10 But it also means they can make purchases against your account,
so be sure you can trust them. 37 00:03:31:11 00:03:38:15 Here's an important
point to remember too: an e-reader isn't as tough as a paper book in some situations.
38 00:03:38:15 00:03:46:24 I wouldn't take mine in the bath, for example, because like
any electronic device water will short it out.
39 00:03:46:24 00:03:55:15 Now, e-readers use one of two screen technologies, and the
best type is really a matter of personal preference. 40 00:03:55:16 00:04:01:05 Some e-readers
for example are back-lit, like a mobile phone or a tablet,
41 00:04:01:05 00:04:08:03 the light behind the screen makes them bright, but
they can be hard to view in direct sunlight. 42 00:04:08:03 00:04:15:16 Other e-readers
use a system called e-ink which works really well in full sunlight or inside with a lamp,
43 00:04:15:16 00:04:18:06 but can be harder to see in dim light.
44 00:04:18:06 00:04:24:16 With a torch accessory some of these e-readers can light the text
in the dark. 45 00:04:24:16 00:04:29:00 In some ways this
is more like reading a traditional paper book.
46 00:04:29:00 00:04:35:22 Some e-readers can have limited contrast, which means that
the black ink may not stand out 47 00:04:35:22 00:04:38:14 that well from
the white background. 48 00:04:38:14 00:04:44:05 This can make them
tricky to read in some places, such as in shadow outside,
49 00:04:44:07 00:04:47:23 where there is a mix of full sunlight and shadow.
50 00:04:47:23 00:04:51:07 So, how do you decide which e-reader is for you?
51 00:04:51:08 00:04:57:08 Thes best thing to do is borrow someone's e-reader, or ask
for a demonstration in the shop. 52 00:04:57:09 00:05:03:08 You'll find out
pretty quickly if you're ready to join the ebook revolution.
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