The present era has witnessed immense changes in the way
people around the world live their lives. Sophistication has been the buzz word
and day in day out, people seek more and more ways to make their life even
better. Things are no longer the way they were couple of decades back. Arguably,
the greatest of these innovations has been in the field of computers and
digital technology. Now the possibilities are amazing and sophistication mind-blowing. A Digital Book
is one such innovation. Simply put, a digital book or an e-book is an ‘abstract
book’ created in digital form which can be viewed on computers and other
digital devices. Digital books have provided an altogether different dimension
to reading and worldwide books have become all the more accessible now, their tangibility
just notwithstanding.
I have
known digital books since about eight years. Yes, I had a late start. Back
then, I didn’t have a computer and laptops were still a dream for the
middle-class. Cellphones had just started to have cameras and music players but
still were the ‘basic’ phones as we call them today. It was then that a friend
had told me about ‘PDF’. Little had I known then that it’s actually a file
extension! I vividly remember his expression of ignorance when I had asked him
the full-form of PDF.
But my real experience with digital books surfaced during my third year- something
that left me forever indebted. A friend brought me the complete Harry Potter
series- a collection of seven amazing books by Madam J.K Rowling. I began
reading with an air of nonchalance contemplating that reading such a large
volume on my laptop would not be
feasible enough. Yet, I finished the entire volume in less than four months!
And during the time, my perception on e-books changed dramatically. You have to
carry a physical book around; turn pages every couple of minutes and worry
about dog-ears and coffee-spills. On the contrary, you could just sit in front
of your computer and read a whole e-book by just using your mouse. Moreover,
you could simultaneously chat with your friends or even copy your favourite line
and share it on your social networking profile. My love for e-books has been on
the rise ever since.
And now, the present generation of touch-enabled smartphone and tablet
users has a different tale to narrate altogether. There are a variety of
devices providing support for digital books now- even an iPod can open an
e-book for you! I too have a smartphone that brings e-books alive on my touch-screen.
Be it at home, in office or during travel, I can always go through the choicest
chapter of my favourite e-book. Digital books are now also being promoted as
part of ‘Go Green’ drives. So, it may not be long before large libraries confine
themselves to just a few inches of portable touch-screen!
