Read an E-Book Month 2012

Choosing an E-Book Reader (Photo credit: Andrew Mason)
Adapted from Mark Coker onthe Smashwords site.Wonderful News: March is now Read an E-book Month in Canada!By virtue of an Order by the 41st Parliament of Canada, FirstSession, Motion M-293 was passed declaring the month ofMarch Read an E-Book Month.The Order reads:That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a)recognize that the ePublishing industry has created economic opportunities forentrepreneurs, authors, publishers and e-reader manufacturers; (b) recognizethat e-books present significant benefits for seniors and children; (c)recognize that e-books are an environmentally-friendly alternative to books;(d) declare the month of March as "Read anE-book Month"; (e) support the goals and ideals of "Read anE-book Month; and (f) encourage Canadians to observe "Read anE-book Month".Canada has taken steps to recognize the innovation of e-bookentrepreneurs and the value this new technology brings to society.Wouldn't it be great if we could have the whole world join inand have a worldwide E-book Month? Some event sponsors are also doing something special for Readan E-Book Month.E Ink: Look for contests and exciting factoids on the E Ink Readan E-Book Month Facebook page!Content will be unlocked as each day of the month arrives. They have also setup a website page forthe event.Indigo Book & Music willoffer $10.00 off a Kobo WiFi e-reader during Read an E-Book Month.####
E-book Reading Devices
E-books have gone mainstream! The latestannouncements on airlines include: "Please turn off all electronicdevices, including electronic book readers...." That translates into ahome run for e-books. They have arrived!Of course, e-books can just as easily read on a computer orlaptop. That's what the first e-books were created for. But now e-books aremore commonly read on e-book reading devices like the iPad, Sony Reader, Kobo,Kindle  and a host of other dedicateddevices.The list of e-book readers, and formats they read in, is growingyearly. The good news is that new technologies make these devices more durableand easier to see in all lighting situations.E-books can also be read on handheld computers (aka Pocket PCs,or PDAs). These pocket-sized devices are popular with people on the go, and cancarry an astounding amount of memory!Smartphones are combined PDAs and cellphones, and like PDAs,they are great e-book readers for people with long commutes on publictransport. Try an e-book on your Nexus One.Last year during Read an E-Book Week we had a list, and link, tothe most popular e-book readers. This year there are simply too many to keeptrack of. Instead, here's a few great links to learn about e-book readers --past, present and future!

E-Book Matrix 
The eBook Reader Blog
The eBook Reader
E-Book Reader ComparisonSo, if you don't already own one of thesedevices,  now you can discover which isbest for you and go ahead, take the plunge, and find your way to reading morebooks, often at greatly reduced prices. In fact, many of the classics areavailable free as ebooks. And taking books on holiday no longer need take upspace or weight in your luggage if you have an e-reader; they can often carry up to 1,200books!