You got an eBook Reader as a gift. Now what?

On Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 5:31 pm, No Comments »

by jurvetson

You got an eBook Reader as a gift. Now what?
Article

by Jared Scott

ebook reading devices were a popular gift item this holiday season. There was a lot of hype around them because some players were issued new ebook and others were sold at special low prices.

If you have an ebook reader as a gift, you might not know what to do with it. It will be very important that you learn to use the device and do some preliminary research before you buy and download ebooks. Please use the following as a guide.

1. Do not buy the first ebook you see.

You could temping to Google one of your favorite books and try to download as an ebook, but please do not do this before ‘I learned more about how ebooks work. It will only cause a headache for themselves.

2. Determine which ebook formats and file types on your device supports.

The ebook reader comes with a manual or user guide. READ IT. You must not read it cover-to-cover, but finding the part that specifies which file types the device can use.

It should also be able to find this information on the website for the device. Look for sections called “specs”, “Technical Specifications”, “properties” or something similar. For example, if you have a BeBook Neo mybebook.com you should go to and find information for Neo.

I sent the information about the file types supported for many popular devices on my blog on the eReader Comparison page. Look under “Supported file format” for each device. (There is a link to my blog at the end of this article).

3. Try to find a free ebook in a format supported by experience.

Most ebook readers support PDF and EPUB. There are many sites offering free downloads in those formats, including Google Books, Project Gutenberg, and others

BIG DISCLAIMER:. Free Ebooks usually have no * DRM so they do not behave the same way an ebook DRM-protected. For example, do not have to “authorize” the device or software. To test your ebook reader with a free ebook, you can be sure that the kind of standard file works on your device, but is not yet completely set for ebooks that you buy.

4. Learn how to transfer the ebook from your computer to the device.

Once you know the file types supported by the device and you have an ebook in this format, you must know how to get the computer to the device. The best place to find the instructions for this is in the user guide or manual.

Most of the time, you will need to connect the device to the computer via a USB cable that came with it. The computer will recognize the device in a manner similar to how you would recognize a thumb drive or an external hard drive.

5. Find a store that sells eBooks eBook formats that are supported by the device.

If you have a Kindle, you will need to buy Kindle ebooks from Amazon. I do not recommend that you try to get ebooks elsewhere because most of the time it does not work on the Kindle. Even if you think you found a way around this, do not worry.

If you have another dedicated ebook reading device like a Nook, BeBook, Cybook, Kobo, or Sony Reader, then you can buy from any retailer of ebooks ebook. Some dealers are good ebookmall.com, diesel-ebooks.com, and fictionwise.com ebooks.com.

You can also buy ebooks from the same company that makes the ebook reader. For example, if you have a Nook then you can get ebooks from Barnes & Noble.

6. Verify that the device is supported by the ebook store.

Do not assume that an ebook that you buy from a retailer of ebooks work on your device. It ‘s very important to check all the details of the product before placing an order.

If you know that your device can use EPUB and PDF files, then double-check to make sure that the ebook you want to purchase is in fact in that format. If you can not understand, go ahead and e-mail the company to verify.

7. Install and authorize any required software before making a purchase.

There is another layer of double checking the format you need to do. It ‘s vital that you determine if you want to buy the ebook with DRM on it or not.

For example, many devices support PDF and EPUB. These two formats have become the most common and are usually the standard. However, the publisher of the book took more likely that the DRM is on the download. This means that you must use a program called Adobe Digital Editions to download the ebook and manage the transfer of the ebook from your computer to the device.

will need to download Adobe Digital Editions using an Adobe ID and authorize. Please see my blog post about Adobe Digital Editions for specific instructions on how to work with this program.

There are many ebook formats and other types of files, so be sure to install the software needed to format according to the instructions.

8. Follow all the instructions to download the letter.

Even if you have the software you need, or if you think that it is not necessary to create a special account, go ahead and follow the instructions anyway. In most cases, you really need to install some software or create a free account with Adobe or any company has created the software. If you ignore the instructions that ruin your download.

9. Use this procedure as a guide, but use your own judgment and follow the instructions.

These steps are very general. I can not give specific instructions here because I do not know what kind of device. Always read the manual and follow the instructions provided by the website in which you are buying your ebooks.

* What is DRM?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. And ‘the method by which they are protected ebooks to be distributed freely to others. The software links the ebook to your account so that you can not give away. The details will vary depending on the software. This title is required by publishers of books because they want to protect their copyright.

About the Author

Jared Scott is a professional who works in the eBook industry for over ten years. His blog eBook Reader software is updated regularly with information messages about the eBook software.

E-book readers: High-impact Emerging Technology - What You Need to Know: Definitions, Adoptions, Impact, Benefits, Maturity, Vendors

An e-book reader, also called an e-book device or e-reader, is a portable electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals. An e-book reader is similar in form to a tablet computer. A tablet computer typically has a faster screen capable of higher refresh rates which makes them more suitable for interaction. The main advantages of e-book readers are better readability of their screens especially in bright sunlight and longer battery life. Thi