' The market for consumer eBooks will reach $2.3 billion by 2005, significantly exceeding recently published industry estimates . . . by 2005, the number of people likely to adopt devices for eBook reading is 28 million.'
Accenture, June 2000

eBooks are simply downloadable, readable versions of books. They require a piece of software to read and the two main ones are Adobe's Acrobat eBook reader and Microsoft's eBook Reader.

eBooks can be read on handheld devices (Palm, Win CE, Pocket PC, Rocket, Handspring Visor, eBookMan, hiebook) and personal computers.

Recent advances in rendering technology have made the books far more readable on screen.Technology lets you search the book very quickly and also add your own electronic notes. It makes books instantly available to anyone in the world. Many books can be contained in one portable reader.

The publishing industry will become more competitive. Authors, agents, and publishers are pushing the new format toward critical mass.

The Open eBook initiative was announced in October of 1998. The main purpose of the initiative was to to create specifications for a widely compatible file format for eBooks. This will allow for publishers to release eBooks in a format that would work with any device capable of displaying Open eBook (OEB) files.

The advantages to eBooks are

• Less expensive to produce

• There is no need for an eBook to ever be out of print.

• Instant delivery and customer satisfaction

• No traditional print restrictions

• New audiences can be reached

The Concise Oxford Dictionary has added eBooks to their definitions:

"e-book" is defined as:

e-book * n. an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a personal computer or handheld device designed specifically for this purpose.

Paradigm RedShift note: So what will we call books which are only available in electronic form?

	Web www.paradigm-redshift.com

Adobe's eBook main news page

Amazon.com is now offering eBooks for sale. Not yet available from their UK site.

Baen.com

Baen Free Library offers a number of free eBooks. WebScriptions offer a number of eBooks for a small subscription

B2B eBook Conference

Information on eBook industry resources, including companies, consultants and experts who specialise in publishing, self-publishing, editing, coaching and general information for authors, writers and marketers of eBooks.

British Library Turning the Pages

See important books such as the Magna Carter.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved."

eBooks.com

eBooks Corporation Limited

execubook.com

eBookseller of  business book summaries

Feedbooks

Feedbooks is a universal e-paper platform compatible with all e-paper devices where you can download thousands of free e-books, publish and share your own content, and create customized newspapers from RSS feeds and widgets.

Fictionwise

eBook seller. Offers some free titles.

International Digital Publishing Forum

The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) is a trade and standards organization dedicated to the development and promotion of electronic publishing.

Open eBook Forum

The Forum published the Open eBook Publication Structure Specification, the industry standard for authoring reusable content for eBook devices and readers. It is now known as International Digital Publishing Forum

PocketGear.com

PocketGear.com carries thousands of mobile device software titles and downloads including games, utilities, business applications and themes for handheld PDAs, Windows Mobile devices, Pocket PC devices and Smartphones.

Pocket PC Magazine

Project Gutenberg

There are over 20,000 free books in the Project Gutenberg Online Book Catalog.
(If you don't live in the United States, please check the copyright laws of your country before downloading or redistributing a book. )

Sony Reader

Virtual eBooks

Selection of free eBooks

eBooks in the news      Top authors to go digital with ebooks        Sunday Times, February 17, 2008     Brave New World        Digitisation of Content: the opportunities for booksellers     and The Booksellers Association ISBN 978-0-9552233-3-4    eBook Retailers Report Over 1 Million Units Sold in  2003       Open eBook Forum, 8 December    E-books get power-saving screens      Cleveland.com, June 26 2003     Gemstar ceases sales of eBook devices        Electronic Book Web, June 18, 2003     eBooks Publisher wins copyright legal argument      Wired.com, 3 March 2002      The Open eBook Forum released an updated version of the         Open  eBook Publication Structure Specification     Penguin embraces eBooks      The Register, 21 August 2001     Adobe acquires Glassbook      Adobe press release     Adobe and Amazon in eBooks alliance       Adobe press release