Under Construction
History:
The original eReaders (Kindle, nook, sony) Tablets (iPad, Android)... eReaders allowed you to buy books in digital/electronic form rather than on paper at a discount. 1998 - Rocket from NuroMedia 2006 - Sony Reader with e-ink. 2007 kindle books from Amazon to read on their kindle eReader. 2009 Barnes & Noble introduces the nook with similar capabilities 2010 Apple releases the iPad with an e-book app called iBooks 2011 Samsung releases the Galaxy Tab running the Google Android OS The basic kindle and nook's use E ink screens to increase contrast and allow reading in direct sunlight just like a paper book. However, both kindle and nook have introduced new models with color LCD screens like the iPad and android tablets incorporating email and other apps to increase functionality. iBook - iPad apple.com/ibooks eBook - Barnes & Noble (Nook app), Amazon (Kindle app) File format Kindle .azw, .kf8, .txt, .pdf, .mobi, .prc Kindle fire .azw, .txt, .pdf, .mobi, .prc, aac, mp3, midi, OFF, Wav, MP4, vp8, .doc Nook .pdb iTunes .epub (IDPF) The .epub or OEBPS format is an open standard for e-books created by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). See Comparison of e-book formats - Wikipedia
Borrowing library books in e-book format:
Library U.S. Libraries began providing free e-books to the public in 1998, although the e-books were primarily scholarly, technical or professional in nature.
In 2008, OverDrive announced that it would provide download services for Borders Books. In 2011 many more libraries offered e-book checkout using overdrive software that you could read on your desktop or laptop computer or your eReader (kindle, nook, iPad, Android, Sony...).
You can get books in several different file formats
(some books are available in all formats, others in only 1 or 2.)

pdf - Fixed line length (will not flow text to fit the screen) so you have to scroll yourself.
kindle - Will remember where you were when your checkout expires.
EPUB - Can download directly to tablets or eReaders

See OverDrive-Device Resource Center for others.

Mac

Windows

iPad

Kindle

Kindle
Fire

Nook

Android
Library borrowing OverDrive app
e-Books
PDF/OPDF PDF/OPDF EPUB
OEPUB
EPUB
OEPUB
EPUB
OEPUB
EPUB
OEPUB
iBook
EPUB
OEPUB
EPUB
OEPUB
Audiobooks
Music
Video
Purchased Books/Media
Amazon
kindle
a a a a
B&N
nook
a a a a
Apple
iBook

Apple iTunes
4 4 4

Mac

Windows

iPad

Kindle

Kindle
Fire

Nook

Android
Documents/Media (click on media icon to play a sample)
Web
Browser
5
Flash
? ?
 Word
 Excel
 PowerPoint
MS
Office
1 2 2 3
See OverDrive-Device Resource Center for others.
See also video formats, ereaders, tablets, other kindles, other nooks.

a. Amazon.com: Free Kindle Reading Apps

1. The iPad has iWork apps (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) which read and write MS Office documents.

2. Word documents and other formats (rtf, jpeg, gif, png, bmp) can be converted via e-mail for viewing on the kindle.

3. The Documents to Go app ($15 & free ver.) will read MS Office documents

4. I copied MP3 songs I had ripped and M4As I just bought from the iTunes store and they played. Older iTunes files are DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected and can't be copied.
See Copy iTunes to Droid the Easy Way - YouTube

5. Experimental browser. (search for "webKit" at Amazon's kindle page.)

  Format         Reader
   pdf          Adobe Acrobat (app on most of above devices)
   Adobe EPUB  Adobe Digital Editions (Mac, PC), OverDrive (iPad, Android, )
   Kindle       Kindle Reader - Kindle app for most of devices above 
   (All kindle books are also on EPUB)
   
   pdf has fixed line lengths, so you may have to scroll left and right on a small screen
   EPUB and Kindle will flow text to fit your screen/window
   Other:
   OEPUB - Open EPUB - No DRM (Digital Rights Management), free to copy
   OPDF - Open PDF
   
 On kindle
   Can download directly from Amazon to PC
   Must put in documents directory to kindle
   
 Audiobooks
     MP3 - Mac, iPod, Windows
     WMA - Windows
     AA
     AAX
Compatible devices | OverDrive - Device Resource Center: Mac, Windows, iPhone®/iPad®/iPod touch®, Android™, BlackBerry®, Windows Phone 7

iPad
Some apps for magazines are in NewsStand.
Stand alone

All OverDrive distributed e-books, audiobooks, music, and video play in a proprietary media player called OverDrive Media Console, while e-books can also be downloaded and played in Adobe Digital Editions software.

Overdrive is the most common software used by libraries for e-books.

Getting Media: Instructions for libraries:
Somerset
Co
Ocean Co1
eLibraryNJ
Overdrive
MyHelp
2
iPad
kindle
nook
android
Windows
Mac
1. eLibraryNJ (Listen NJ) includes Scotch Plains, Ocean County, New Jersey State Library and many others.
2. With MyHelp.overdrive you will have to click one of the other tabs then go back to Setup

Where are the files:       
   Windows: C:\users\[std usr]\my documents\my digital editions\xxx.epub
   
       Mac: ~/Documents/Digital Editions/The_Social_Media_Survival_Guide.epub
            ~/Downloads/TheSocialMediaSurvivalGuide.ascm
            ~ = your folder under /Users
      The book: The_Social_Media_Survival_Guide.epub
      It also updates your manifest.xml file with the expiration date and other things.
      
  The overdrive system also creates an .ascm (Adobe Content Server Message File).
 This is adobe's form of rights management.  See ebook-system.
 

OverDrive Media Console: download and shortcut keys Help at Overdrive | Somerset Co Library Nook - Download to PC and transfer to Nook via USB Kindle - USB like Nook or direct from Amazon with Wi-Fi iPad, Android, - Download with overdrive app Mac - Windows: Read with Adobe Digital Additions


Publishers:
Some publishers (e.g. peachpit press) allow you to download their books in ePub

ACSM - Adobe rights management. Requires special app which gets book from the Internet.
BlueFire Reader


Apps:
GoodReader - Optimized PDF reader
BlueFire Reader
Readmill

Terms:
DRM controls right to have on multiple copies, lend, print, ...

Links:
eReaders
E-Readers for Everyone: Teaching Tips Webinar | TechSoup.org
Comparison of e-book formats - Wikipedia
Project Gutenberg - free ebooks
Mutopia - Free sheet music Libraries Got Screwed by Amazon and Overdrive | Librarian in Black Blog - Sarah Houghton

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last updated 28 April 2010