What is it?
Digital books are books that are available in digital (or electronic) format. E-books can be opened using typical Window commands, though you must have access a program that supports the Portable Document Format (PDF) file format. Adobe Acrobat Reader supports PDF files. E-books are loaned to users on portable devices (e-book readers) or by transmitting the contents to a user’s personal computer for a limited time. E-books are usually read on personal computers or smart phones, or on dedicated hardware devices known as e-book readers or e-book devices. Many mobile phones can also be used to read eBooks. Enhances in technology have promoted audio books. These are devices that read books aloud, which is operated by the text-to-speech function.

IT Systems
Robotic Book Scanner: a machine which is used to scan books, integrating automated components that allow the device to exceed the speed of traditional manual imaging devices such as camera stands. A robotic scanner usually consists of three basic parts: a mechanical device to turn the pages; a cradle or table to hold the book in place, and a camera or imaging sensor to capture images.

E-Book Readers: portable, wireless devices onto which people can download a virutal libary of digital books.

Portable Document Format: a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for document exchange. PDF is used for representing two-dimensional documents in a manner independent of the application software, hardware, and operating system

Text-To-Speech Software: system that converts normal language text into speech; Synthesized speech can be created by pieces of recorded speech that are stored in a database.

Audio Books: a recording that is primarily of the spoken word. While it is often based on a recording of commercially available printed material. It was not intended to be descriptive of the word "book" but is rather a recorded spoken program in its own right and not necessarily an audio version of a book.

Advantages

• Hundreds or thousands of books may be stored on the same device; easier to carry around
• Allow non-permanent highlighting and annotation
• Font size and font face can be adjusted
• Allow animated images or multimedia clips to be embedded
• Automatically open at the last read page
• The electronic texts are generally cheaper
• Text-To-Speech software can be used to convert e-books to audio books automatically
• Does not consume the paper, ink, and other resources that are used to produce printed books

Disadvantages

• More susceptible to physical damage
• Require the purchase of an electronic device and/or peripheral software which can display the electronic pages
• Malfunction due to faults in hardware or software
• Hacked through the use of hardware or software and the Internet and/or other e-book readers, without approval from the author or publisher (piracy)
• Screen resolution may lead to a difficulty in reading the text

Social/Ethical Issues

• Reliability- The electronic reader (hardware) may have a malfunction which enables you to access your digital book
• Policies and Standards- A person isn't charged for reading an e-book but download one. Unauthorized user may go against the copyright's and trademarks.
• Intellectual Property- Although electronic books are under copyright, audio rights are not generally packaged with e-book rights.