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eBooks - What is an eBook?

By , About.com Guide

Definition: An eBook is an online version of a book. Usually much shorter in the number of pages when compared to a traditional printed and bound book, eBooks are still useful as they can contain bookmarks that make it easy to jump to specific sections, they may contain colurful illustrations, they can contain active links to websites and you can print only the pages you want.

Since eBooks can be published for a fraction of the cost of publishing a traditional book they are typically far less expensive to buy than a bound book. In many cases, eBooks are offered free as a form of business promotion.

Most ebooks that are available on websites are published in PDF format. PDF format is very popular because Adobe Reader and other software that provides the ability to open PDF documents is now typically included on every computer sold and PDF's can easily be read on both Windows PCs and Macs. PDF eBooks therefore make it easy to open and read the material without needing to download any software or have any special hardware, such as an eBook reader.

Many readers find eBooks to be more convenient than bound books, especially for information that changes frequently. The time to publish eBooks can be as little as a few minutes once the content is properly formatted. Therfore, eBook publishers can distribute updated versions easily and inexpensively.

Pronunciation: eee books
Also Known As: PDF books
Alternate Spellings: e-books
Examples:

Selling eBooks online is one type of home business that is popular with those who want to generate income from the Internet while working from home. Because eBooks are transmitted electronically, there is no need to carry a physical inventory of books for sale.

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