The evolution of the computer opened a barrage of doors to newer technological marvels and ways of perceiving how the world works that even the most ardent fan of science fiction would be left awestruck. Back then, people had to use a clunky typewriter to write a letter, and most people would have to wait for days before the letter they wrote gets to the person it was addressed to. But with the evolution of the computer, our thoughts and messages can be sent to the intended person instantaneously, as if he or she was right beside us. Now, another form of evolution is beginning to shape the way we perceive the world, especially the realm of literature. With the emergence of the e-book technology, it has brought us to a more advanced way of appreciating literature.

Surprisingly, the e-book is not a new creation; rather, it is a new way of utilizing the way people read. E-books are digital representations of the books that we read. Anyone can download the novel of their choice from the internet without the hassle of going out and looking for a bookstore that carries the book they want. They are simple to use and most of them are less costly than their traditional counterpart. Some Web sites offer e-books at $1.99 while books that are purchased at bookstores cost thrice that amount.

Last year, we witnessed the release of Amazon’s Kindle 2, the newest version of the hardware and software platform device that displays books in electronic format. As of July 2009, there are about 300,000 books available for download in the Kindle Store, and the numbers are steadily increasing. The big question is whether e-books will take over traditional books the way digital music did for records and CDs.
Estimates say that the Kindle has already sold around 1.5 million units as of 2009. This may seem like a small percentage of consumers, but add to that the number of people who download e-books in their computers and you have a number that might just be enough to change the course of publishing. The recent release of Apple’s iPad, with its optional iBooks application, has been generating buzz in the gadget world, and with the loyal Apple followers sure to buy the device, the market for e-books continues to grow.

In the Philippines, where these devices are not widely available, we have yet to see its effects on the local publishing industry. “As you know, we are not exactly a nation of readers, be it newspapers, magazines, or books,” says  Jason De Villa, editor-in-chief at Hinge Inquirer Publications. “The ones who read are those who are better educated and who have more disposable income—exactly the kind of people who would give the Kindle or iPad a try. It could go either way: the publishing industry could find a new revenue stream in selling digital copies to people who are willing to pay for their products provided they are imaginative enough to create a new reading experience instead of just porting their text and photos from paper to a computer screen, or it could mean that these users migrate to foreign digital materials (think of foreign magazines and e-books) since they will have access to a much larger digital library.”

With the Kindle weighing less than a pound and the iPad at 1.5 pounds, and able to carry thousands of books in its built-in memory, these gadgets surely is a more convenient way of carrying your books around. But there are also still a lot of people who prefer reading their books on paper, saying that nothing beats the feeling (or the smell) of opening a newly bought book you’ve been waiting months to get your hands on. Although we might still be a long way from seeing these gadgets take over printed books, today, the demand for e-books has nowhere to go but up.