Tech Sense: eBooks and Readers 2025 (July 2025)

eBooks and Readers 2025

It is nearly July and that means summer vacation.  Vacation for many of us means time to read for fun and relaxation. 

It has been more than 5 years since I have covered eBook formats. I covered readers briefly during the last holiday season, so I will cover a little more detail this time around.  I also covered some of my favorite Science Fiction eBooks (and movies) last July in a column titled Potpourri.  I will skip them this time. However, I suggest that you visit Project Gutenberg to find free-to-read classics to read as you rest on the beach or in a hammock. 

 

eBook Formats

Many file formats designed for eBooks have come and gone over the years.  The Portable Document Format (PDF) has remained the most popular format.  PDF documents can be easily printed and read from most computers and rendered to appear as the printed page.  Most of my eBooks I have downloaded as PDF files because I can view then on almost every device I have including my phones, tablets, and computers.  The documents also print on every printer I own.  The PDF format was created by Adobe but has been an industry standard for many years.

MOBI was an early format adopted by Amazon as the basis for the Kindle format.  Rarely found now Amazon replaced the MOBI format with the “AZW3” format (sometimes called “Kindle8”).  Kindle holds a large market share for both eBooks and readers making “AZW3” a dominant format for eBooks.

Used on many readers, the ePUB format is the official standard of the International Digital Publishing Forum.  ePUB is the most widely based e-book standard that is based on XML files as opposed to PDF files.  ePUB provides support for audio book overlays allowing the audio to be synchronized with the current page in the book.  Most eReaders handle ePUB directly, but the Kindle can't handle compressed (zipped) ePUB files and recommends they be tested before use.

Of course, two formats aren’t enough because of comic books.  Most modern comic books are in color with individual blocks showing both image and text.  These images vary in size with multiple images on a page.  It is common to show only one or a few images on electronic devices. This reflects the size of the viewing device. To work with comics the publication format collects each image, compresses them and stores them in a file archive.  The file extensions identify the archiving and compression format.  There are two popular formats in use. The CBZ format uses the free and open Zip file standard and the CBR format uses the proprietary RAR format.  The other identifiers are CB7 for 7z format, CBA for ACE format, and CBT for Tar format.  The images within the archive file can be stored in various formats as well.  The most common are PNG, and JPEG/JPG. Although GIF, BMP, or TIFF can also be used.  These are all common digital image file formats, each with different advantages and disadvantages.

 

Readers

EReaders are the hardware devices used to read eBooks.  An eReader can be a dedicated hardware device or software running on a computer, tablet, or phone.  Most dedicated eReader devices use something called an eInk display.  These black and white displays use very little power allowing eReaders to remain charged for days or weeks instead of hours.  Some eReaders provide a headphone jack to stream music and have the reader read books to you aloud.  There are various methods of adding books to the eReader.  Some like the Kindle use Wi-Fi or mobile connections. Others use a connection to a computer to add books previously downloaded by the computer. 

The Amazon line of Kindle readers are the most popular with many reviewers saying the current Kindle Paperwhite is the best product on the market.  Kindle gives access directly to purchase ebooks from Amazon or access book through Prime or a subscription plan.  You can also use the Libby application to borrow books from our local library.  You must have a library card to do this.  Amazon has recently started to sell color eInk versions of their Kindle readers.

Rakuten Kobo, considered by many reviewers to be the next best eBook reader, is an independent manufacturer, and doesn’t lock you to the Amazon universe.  Kobo primarily supports EPUB and PDF formats but it’s possible to use conversion programs to read Kindle books.

The Barnes and Noble Nook is still around but has dropped in popularity.  Ignored by most reviewers, the nook only represents about 10% of overall eBook sales.  Nook has a number of models, some built by manufacturers like Lenovo.  Some are more like tablets, and some models include color capabilities. 

Boox is a popular independent maker of eBook readers, offering both regular black and white readers and color products.  Many reviewers write nice things about these readers, but my observation is that many actual users complain about the quality of the devices and customer service. 

 

Color Readers, Tablets, Phones

The latest trend is now color readers.  Color readers address the issue of reading magazines and comics, which require color to get the full value of their content.  Recently, color eInk has become viable for eReaders.  They provide the long battery life of the black and white eReaders but provide color images and text.  However, the color display costs more and page turning, screen update response, seems to be slower. 

Android or Apple tablets have become a popular alternative to eReaders.  All current tablets support ereading software supporting the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Universe.  Google Play Books also provides a very good reader for both Android and Apple phones.  I find my wife does a lot of her reading on her phone.  She also uses a Kindle device, and the software tracks her reading progress on both devices so when she switches her device the software automatically returns her to where she left off.

 

Reader Software

I have tried several reader applications, and I find I prefer the Google Play reader app that works for both regular books and comics. It also works on my tablet, my phone, and my computer.

Android also includes a number of choices for PDF readers.  But, unlike an eBook reader, a pdf viewer doesn’t keep a page mark tracking where you left off.  I use Kindle software on my tablet for books I acquire through Amazon, so I don’t need to worry about the file conversion.  I also find that the library program Libby also works well with the Kindle app. 

Most of the books I acquire are in PDF or EPUB formats.  I store these on my Google Drive so I can access them from any device, my phone, my tablet, or one of my computers.  Most of today’s computers and devices have PDF readers built in. 

Tools for viewing other formats are easily found.  Amazon makes its Kindle software available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.  Boox, Nook, and Google also provide software readers for most platforms.  A simple search will find many others that are independent of manufacturers, and booksellers. 

 

Personal Choices

My personal choice for reading is a tablet.  I have used many tablets over the years, and I find a 7-to-8-inch tablet fits me best.  I like the color ability, since I enjoy reading both comics and magazines.  I only get 8 to 12 hours before the tablet needs a recharge, but I can also watch movies, check email, and do all of the other things a tablet provides. 

I have both Kindle and Google Books apps on the tablet, and I have tried several others.  I personally find the Kindle app to be better suited for how I read.  The Google Play App, however, does a better job with the EPUB books I have.  A few months ago, I read 18 EPUB books in a month on my tablet with the Google Play App.  I borrowed and read a single book on Kindle.  Both Amazon and Google provide tools allowing me to upload books from my collection into the apps. I can also access books from my cloud storage and read them that way.

 

Next Month

Next month, it looks like it is “back to school”. Have a great vacation!