Electronic books, also known as eBooks, are becoming more and more popular as a media technology. These eBooks are changing the way that we read books. We no longer have to go to the book store or the library to get a book; we can simply download it.

Along with eBooks are eBook readers. Of the most popular are Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook. With these products you choose your book, purchase it, and then download it to the reader. These devices are popular for readers of all ages. “Originally thought to have more appeal to younger readers, the Kindle is also popular with readers over 40, partially because of its adjustable type size” ("Strategies for Media Companies", 2011).

Students can also use this technology to download textbooks. By downloading books, students can get their books quickly, at a fraction of the cost without the shipping fees and the wait. These digital textbooks allow students to have access to the most updated information.

New information is being added to human knowledge so rapidly that a textbook may be out of date by the time it appears in print where digital online textbooks--downloaded from the Internet-- can be regularly revised and updated. Clearly, traditional printed textbooks alone will not be adequate to meet the world's education needs. ("Future of Online `Textbooks' and Modules", 2008)

The technology of electronic books gives all readers the freedom to choose the books they want instantly, to have a library at their fingertips, to save money, and to save themselves from carrying around a load of heavy books.