Ebook

Text can be searched automatically, and cross-referenced using hyperlinks. This makes e-books an excellent choice of format for works that benefit from search and cross-reference capabilities, such as dictionaries, reference works, and certain kinds of textbooks.

Less physical space is required to store e-books. Hundreds (or thousands) may be carried together on one device. Approximately 500 average e-books can be stored on one CD (equivalent to several shelves of print books). Because they take up little space, e-books can be offered indefinitely, with no 'out of print' date, allowing authors to continue to earn royalties indefinitely (copyright law permitting) and allowing readers to find older works by favorite authors.

Readers who have difficulty reading conventional books can benefit from the adjustment of text size and font face. Text-to-speech software can be used to automatically convert e-books to spoken books. In addition, e-books may be read in low light or even total darkness, with a back-lit device.

An ebook can be much more comfortable to hold because it does not need to be held open like a paperback. It can also be set down and read hands-free.

Since there is only one page, there are no problems with the text near the interior margin being obscured or shadowed by another page (as can happen with a paperback). This makes the book easier to see from a variety of angles. The lack of a flexible joint between a book's pages also allows the book to be positioned on its side.

It costs almost nothing to replicate an e-book. Copies can be made instantly and in as great a quantity as desired. This makes it easy to retain backups and difficult to eliminate works once they have been distributed. E-books can be published by independent publishing houses, which can lead to greater editorial and authorial freedom and more room for experimentation. From the publisher's point of view, the ease of distributing e-books means that they can be used to stimulate higher sales of printed copies of books.

With Internet access becoming ubiquitous in industrial nations, the ease of distributing e-books is a considerable advantage. E-books cost little to transfer, and such an operation occurs quickly. Readers can begin reading as soon as the download completes, or sooner, depending on the e-book formats' capabilities, without the need to visit a bookstore.

Errors in texts may be easily and quickly corrected, and may even be pushed to users to update their copies of works in-place, rather than requiring a separate errata.

Replicating e-books does not consume the paper, ink, and other resources that are used to produce normal books. E-books do not have to be replaced as a result wear and tear because there is little risk of damage, vandalism, or degradation to their pages.