Will the traditional book be replaced by the electronic version?

In America the hype about the electronic book has emerged after the online publications of some eminent authors' work. In the Netherlands, these developents are closely observed by Arjen den Boer. Den Boer is the maintainer of the website called www.e-book.nl At the moment there is no hype about e-books on the Dutch market, but an increasing amount of publishers do offer electronic versions. Will the traditional book be replaced by the electronic version? Should the bookstores close their doors?

The e-book

The e-book has three main aspects. Firstly, one is dealing with digital texts, which can be acquired via the Internet. secondly, there is the hardware. The e-book electronic device is especially developed to facilitate the reading of texts from a screen. As soon as the digital texts have been downloaded, one can upload them on the device. Certain software is needed to get the electronic texts. 

Providers of software

The e-reader software market is dominated by two house-hold names: Adobe and Microsoft. Microsoft own the program called Reader, which has been connected to the PocketPc. In order to enhance its own position on the market, Microsoft has signed deals with certain eminent publishing houses. Adobe's program can be downloaded for free, and can be used on the Glassbook Reader. So in theory, one cannot read all e-books with the use of one single software program. This restriction should be resolved in the future with the help of a built-in decoder. Such a decoder would allow for all users to order books online, because then all books can actually be accessed on whichever computer.

The publisher

In America, publishers have already started to disappear as authors themselves take control of publication matters. Stephen King, for example, has started publishing his own work on the Internet. With his first book, Riding the Bullet, he reached 400,000 readers in just two days. He then offered his next book in segments. Readers were asked to donate one dollar, after which part of the story was sent to them. They could continue reading the rest of the book if they liked to.

In the Netherlands it is possible to request books whose rights have expired via a couple of Internet sites. The Laurens Janszoon Coster project puts up titles by Multatuli, P.C. Hooft and many other. The Digital Library for the Dutch Literature (DBNL) also owns an elaborate supply of primary texts and a wealth of secondary literature. One can consult these sources free of charge. 

One can download a lot of works from the website http://www.e-books.nl/. Here, most of the works are English publications, while the number of Dutch titles in limited to about 50. Some publishing houses, like Lemniscaat, do provide readers with free teasers. In the bookstores, physical excerpts of new publications can be found on the counter. More practical is the online version, where it is possible to immediately order the entire volume: while reading, one is informed that it is possible to read further after purchasing the rest of the title. As the reader has already taken his or her seat in front of the computer screen, they are only one click away from reading all of the book - while a paper excerpt might not have enticed them to make another trip to the bookstore to get it.

The Gutenberg Project is a platform where e-books can be downloaded for free from the US. The books that are available are titles whose copyright has expired in Amercia. This means that readers from outside the States must be careful to check the copyright laws in their own countries before downloading the books. The volumes that are provided were previously published in a traditional form by legitimate publishers, and are digitized by people who volunteer for the Gutenberg project (www.gutenberg.org).  

Yet is seems implausible that the publisher should disappear all together. It is important for writers to establish themselves in order for the audience to buy their work. Publishing houses allow for new authors to develop themselves if they are confident in their writers. Authors who try to distribute their novels via the Internet risk a failure. The Interet has too much to offer and is too large and chaotic in order for writers to reach potential buyers. Futhermore, there are no editors to check such works, due to which the quality of the work will be inferior.

Publishing houses can earn an advantage with electronic publications. The costs of transport and storage are reduced and it is possible to reach audiences from all over the world. Especially where academic publications are concerned this will be very advantageous. 

The advantages and disadvantages of the hardware

The new book that can be acquired online, is to be read from a screen. However, people would like to read everywhere, and a laptop is not as comfortable as holding a real book. Digital pockets will thus have to provide a solution. These electronic devices are designed like paperbacks. Some versions have the possibility of displaying two pages on the screen, so that it seems as though one is reading a traditional book. It is possible to store multiple works on one device. The gadgets include certain functions, like the possibility to search for certain topics within the texts. Then it is possible, for instance, to combine different texts. This application could be advantageous to students: they won't have to flick through physical copies anymore in search of information. 

But are these book-like devices ideal? For now, the price of an e-book might be too high to purchase it, as it approaches 300 euros, or 419 US dollars. Unfortunately many of the online texts can only be accessed if paid for. 

Another disadvantage is the need to read from an electronic screen. This puts a strain on the eyes, as a result of which they are more easily tired. This is caused by the clarity of the letters. On the screen, they are built up of dots, so-called pixels. Letters in magazines and books usually are built up of 1200 pixels, while the ones on a screen only contain 70 pixels. A lot of work is being done to improve this. De Automatisering Gids has conducted some research. IBM has developed a new screen, one on which letters contain 200 pixels. Some progress has been made, but the device that comes with this new screen weighs close to ten kilograms. This weight undermines the initial advantage of the e-book. 

Electronic ink is a new invention. It is a liquid plastic containing millions of microcapsules. These capsules are filled with a blue liquid and floating white particles. The white particles are negatively charged. By directing postively charged electricity on these particles, they are distinguished from the blue liquid. The ink is fixed between two transparent flexible layers, so that it is possible to form letters.  The development of this new technique, however, is still in an early state.

Conclusion

In a world in which electronical devices are constantly improved, the e-book still has a chance. For now, the traditional book will not disappear from our bookcases. In the future, the e-book will probably become increasingly important for students and professionals in certain fields, like that of ICT. People who enjoy reading prefer to hold the traditional book, if only because of the nostalgia: the look and feel and smell of a book. This may in fact be an option for those looking to sell electronic books: to create the true book smell, one that cannot be mistaken.

Sources: www.todio.nl