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Management, trade strategies, marketing and users of scientific-technical e-books in the Spanish market are analysed in this paper, from the point of view of the main subscription agents. Swets and Ebsco country managers in Spain were interviewed to obtain a general overview. The most widely held opinion in the scholarly context -researchers, librarians, publishers and subscription agents- is that the scholarly e-book is being accepted much more slowly than e-journals but will become more and more important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic book, understood as a digital file, has entered the Spanish publishing scene and caused a variety of changes, both within publishing companies and in the relationship between the publishers and other players in the traditional book value chain. We describe these changes, in addition to the challenges that the publishers will face to meet the new e-books demand. In addition, to systematize the level of alignment between publishers and electronic books, a five-level scale is proposed. Its detailed description provides an overview of the current situation of Spanish publishers in relation to e-books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathway to the complete digitisation and substitution of printed press is now a reality. The imminent commercialisation of new mobile devices using e-ink, licensed by Philips, and especially the new model of Sony's Portable Reader System in Spain (announced for Spring 2009), a determined commercial strategy, and incipient research by some Spanish newspapers make us wonder whether we are facing the end of the printed press. At the moment, the new devices are much better than their predecessors, but enough problems remain to make us doubt that we are at the beginning of the end of newsprint. The strengths of some other devices that differ from the e-book but could eventually be able to present books or newspaper on their screens, such as iPhone-like cell phones or Amazon's Kindle (not yet available in Spain) opens an interesting era of competition and convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is both a historical overview of reader devices of electronic documents and a description of the current technology characterized by the so called "electronic paper". Gyricon technologies are analysed as well as the electrophoretic screens and devices that use the electrowetting principle. A wide variety of file formats compatible with the different kinds of reader devices are shown, as well as the problems derived from reader incompatibility. The more outstanding models available in the market and their services are also described. A reflection is proposed about the different usages and their effectiveness, document dissemination, and the expectations that the e-readers have created regarding future development. Nowadays these devices make the reading of electronic documents easier and more comfortable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of reading on screens and in virtual libraries seems very new, but there are precedents that have developed this concept up to what we know today. This article describes some of the stages electronic books have passed through in their short existence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]