eBooks Basics

An eBook/eTextbook is a digital book that is read on an electronic device like a smartphone, iPad/tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Many digital books can be printed, but doing so increases how much they cost AND loses all the benefits of using a digital book.

Why would you want to use an eBook instead of a printed book?

How do you Read an eBook

EBooks come in different formats and, depending on the format, are used with different apps. At CNM, our Open Educational Resources (OERs) are distributed in a few different formats depending on the needs of a course: html (view online in your web browser), pdf document, and/or MS Word document. CNM OERs released in html or MS Word formats can be converted or downloaded as pdf documents and used in any pdf reader app or note-taking app (e.g., OneNote, Kindle, PDF Viewer, Foxit, etc).

Most OERs published by other organizations can be used in the same apps as the CNM produced OERs. Large non-profit organizations may also provide their OERs in formats that can be downloaded in Amazon Kindle™ or iBooks™ formats.

Large for-profit publishers like Elsevier, McGraw-Hill, Morton, Pearson, and Wiley typically offer their eTextbooks in a format that requires you to use their proprietary eBook reader app or adaptive book eReader. Examples include ReadAnywhere™, SmartBook™, and Bookshelf™. Some are also available for download into the Amazon Kindle™ app which can be used on any mobile device or desktop computer.

Common functions available for most eBooks:

Additional Functions available in some eBook readers or PDF readers:

What Types of Devices Can You Use to Read eBooks and eTextbooks?

An eBook/eTextbook can be used on any type of electronic, computing device. Devices include smartphones, tablets/iPads, laptops, and desktop computers. What device you use depends on what you have, what you can afford, and how you want to use the eBook and/or study.

Smartphone:

A modern smartphone has the same computing power as most laptop computers. Ebooks typically work very well on smartphones.

Pros

Cons

Tablet or iPad

Digital books work well on tablets and iPads. An advantage of the tablet and iPad are the touchscreen features and screen size that is larger than a smartphone.

Pros

Cons

Laptop

Digital books work well on laptops. They have a larger screen, sometimes a longer battery life, and high usability with various types of software. You can do almost all coursework easily on a laptop and still carry it around.

Pros

Cons

Hybrid Laptop/Tablet

Some manufacturers are combining traits of laptops with tablets. The highlights of these devices include touchscreen and lighter weight than a traditional laptop. It is important to research each device and verify what software they can and cannot interact with. Not all hybrids have the full functionality of a laptop. However, some hybrids can do both.

Desktop Computer

Similar features to a laptop; however, you cannot easily pick it up and carry the device to another room or location.

Accessories

Bluetooth Keyboards: These devices are often inexpensive and work well with smartphones and small tablets/iPads. They give you the ease of using a full keyboard for typing AND keep the entire screen open for viewing. There are several small, portable models designed to work with smartphones.

Portable Battery Chargers: Newer mobile devices often boast battery life of 8-20 hours depending on the device. However, if you are depending on a mobile, electronic device, it is a good idea to have a portable, battery charger so you don’t have to worry about your device dying in the middle of the day or having to find a wall charger.

Stylus for Touchscreen: If using a touchscreen device, it is difficult to get fine lines for handwriting if using a finger. There are many inexpensive models for high quality touchscreen styluses available on the market. These make the experience with hand-annotation, highlighting, and underlining of an eBook more pleasant.

Technology Options for Students

Table describing the types of technology they can use for learning. Pros and cons of tablets, iPads, laptops, and smartphones.
Figure 1: Technology Options for Students

CNM supports students, faculty, and staff using their personal devices on campuses. If you need help with technical issues, you can contact ITS at (505) 224-HELP or itsservicedesk@cnm.edu.

Illustrated image of a person wearing a headset and the contact info for ITS.
Figure 2: For tech help contact ITS at 224-HELP or itsservicedesk@cnm.edu

What Apps Can You Use with your eBooks?

There are many apps that can be used with an eTextbook. What app you use will depend on the following:

This document will focus on free and low-cost apps that would be potential first-choice apps with CNM OER eBooks. For most students, a good starting point app will be Amazon Kindle App especially if you are using a laptop or desktop computer. If you want to use a stylus for writing directly on your eBook then consider using OneNote, Notability, Foxit, or PDF Viewer.

Apps for Apple Devices include: MS Office (OneNote, Word), Notability, Foxit Mobile PDF, PDF Viewer PSPDFKit (only on IOS), Amazon Kindle app, iBooks

Apps for Android Devices include: MS Office (OneNote, Word), Foxit Mobile PDF, PDF Viewer PSPDFKit), Amazon Kindle app,

Apps for Windows Devices include: Amazon Kindle app, MS Office (OneNote, Word), Foxit Mobile PDF

Apps for Short versus Long Documents

Short eBook or OER documents (less than 20 pages)

Long eBooks or OER documents (more than 20 pages)

Accessing the CNM English 1110 and 1120 OER


The Composition OER Foreword is written by Dr. Anna Gilletly, 2018, published by Central New Mexico Community College, and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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