Schools Test E-Reader Devices With Dyslexic Students. Kindle in Australia: Which Books Are Available? | Kindle Alternatives. Apple is rumoured to be releasing a tablet PC that functions as an e-reader early next year and Microsoft created a prototype tablet (or booklet, since it has two screens) called Courier, judging from a video that was leaked online. In the meantime, ASUS unveiled a dual-screen colour e-reader at CeBIT earlier this year; Sony signed a deal with Marvel Comics (and is in talks with other comic publishers) to let PSP users read electronic comic books by the end of this year, with other content, including novels, expected next year; and Nintendo released a collection of classic book titles for its DS hand-held console. iPhone, Blackberry and other mobile users can already download e-readers to work on their phones.
The display technology these e-readers use is an important consideration. While the Kindle and its ilk use E Ink, a technology that recreates the look of ink on a page (see graphic), multi-function devices such as the PSP are sticking to LCD screens. School Libraries Struggle with E-Book Loans. "The biggest challenge for libraries is trying to accommodate the demand for eBooks in a world in which there is no standard DRM," Hamilton said in a recent interview.
"While services like Overdrive provide e-book checkout that's friendly to multiple devices (that could be owned by the library or by students themselves) and allows you to track circulation stats, the cost is prohibitive for many school libraries; in addition, the terms of service with Overdrive no longer provide you an option to move your purchased e-books to another platform should you decide to change from Overdrive to another vendor, which basically means you'd lose your investment in your e-book collection.
" That's what the State of Kansas faced when it terminated its contract with Overdrive, which highlights the fact that when it comes to digital content, more often than not what we own -- both libraries and consumers -- isn't the content itself but a license to access it.