 When the first Kindle came out in 2007, many of us wondered at its ability to fit dozens of books on such a small device. Over the past four years, Amazon and other ebook reader manufacturers, like Barnes & Noble, have continued to impress us with each update. And then, of course, there's the Apple iPad, which changed everything for ereaders when it came along in 2010. Allowing for video and audio playback, the iPad could do things other ereaders could not. Publishers started taking into account the vast amount of features these new tablets could handle, and the "enhanced ebook" started making its way onto the scene. Enhanced ebooks can include video, film clips from news reels or major motion pictures, drawings, author interviews, original music, diagrams, photos, and more. In most cases, you can think of an enhanced ebook as an ebook with that extra bonus disc of features you get when you buy a DVD. Until the Kindle Fire is released on November 15, an iPad or B&N Nook Color is still the best way to take advantage of the video elements. Still, there are plenty of enhanced Kindle books out there that use hyperlinks within the text instead of embedding the content inline. Though still a fairly new concept, there seems to be two sides in the enhanced ebook debate. There are those that think the bonus material can greatly enhance the reading experience and that it's worth spending a couple extra bucks on to have exclusive content. And, there are those who think it's a waste of money and don’t want extra content mucking up their ereading. With the release of the $199 Kindle Fire, a 7-inch touch screen tablet that is expected to be extremely popular, the enhanced ebook market may see a bump in demand. We took a look at a handful of enhanced ebooks that are each getting a lot of buzz. Evidenced by the production quality, the audio and video elements, these enhanced books are a vital part of the storytelling and aren't just some fluff thrown in at the last minute. We rounded up eight enhanced ebooks that showcase just how much an enhancement an ebook is capable of. |
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