E-book readers are electronic readers for digital books (e-books) in a handy format with the approximate dimensions 12 cm x 16 cm x 1 cm (WxHxD). The internet access is usually via WLAN (or UMTS) to download the digital books to the device. Usually files can also be transferred from the PC using a USB connection.

File formats

Common file formats for e-book readers are EPUB, PDF and TXT. EPUB is the most widely used format with Adobe's DRM (Digital Rights Management) copy protection. In contrast to PDF, EPUB can adapt to different display formats. Amazon uses its own (proprietary) file format AZW. EPUB data cannot be opened on Amazon devices. For opening the AZW files on non-Amazon devices there is reading software from Amazon for the operating systems e.g. Windows, Mac OS, Android or iOS.

Display technology

The most commonly used display technology is electronic ink, which is energy-saving with long battery life because the screen does not light up. There are devices with additional LED lighting for reading in the dark.

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