2
The Digital Book:
Market of the Future?
The discussion concerning the viability
and chances of success of eBooks is not
new. In recent decades, there have been
talks as to when and whether the eBook
will overtake the printed book in terms of
popularity. Following music, newspapers,
magazines, television, and radio, the
digital transformation has now also caught
up with the book industry. The market is
undergoing a period of change – and is
restructuring itself.
2.1
eBooks
eBooks are digital versions of printed
books, which are distributed through
the Internet. These files can be read on
eReaders, tablets, personal computers,
smartphones, and also on some mobile
phones.
eBooks can be published in a variety of
file formats. In the United States, there
is not much debate about formats, as
the industry leaders – Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and Apple – allow customers to
read their purchased books on a variety of
devices. This multiple- application strategy
mitigates the problem of competing file
formats, as consumers rarely need to move
a book saved in one format to a device that
requires a different format. In Europe,
where the eBook and eReader environment
is less mature, publishers continue to
discuss the merits of different file formats.
Formats are especially important to
customers, as few eReader or eBook
companies in Europe provide the multiple-
device convenience and flexibility as their
US peers. That puts the onus on buyers to
understand the file type, and whether it is
compatible with their devices.
At this time, PDF and ePUB are the most
common eBook file formats. PDF was
created by Adobe in 1993 and is used
primarily for special interest books. ePUB is
generally used for mass market eBooks.
3
Here is a brief discussion of the two file
formats:
ePUB is an extensible markup
•
language, like the HTML used for
websites. The text adapts to a user’s
device. If the user wants a larger
typeface, the text will be redrawn on
the screen. In contrast, a PDF document
is like a series of photographs: every
page will show up on the screen exactly
as the designer laid it out, but the
reader may find it difficult to enlarge or
decrease the type size.
Current situation
1
According to Allensbacher Market and Advertising Media Analysis 2008, 45% of women and 29% of men use books daily or several times a week. And most books are bought by women
(66% compared with 52% of men).
2
PwC: Global entertainment and media outlook: 2010-2014, 2010.
3
ePUB is an open standard for eBooks, based on XMLM; it has been defined by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) and replaced the older standard Open eBook (OEB) or Open
eBook Publication Structure (OEBPS). In addition to dynamic text adjustment, ePUB files can be individually adapted to a certain extent and support vector graphics. ePUB is also compatible
with Digital Rights Management systems. There are plans for further development: Accordingly, the IDPF has set up a commission which is expected to enable advertising and videos to be
displayed in ePUB and is also expected to permit standard or interactive add-ons.
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