eBook Glossary

ACSM File

After purchasing an Adobe Digital Edition eBook or downloading a Google eBook, this is one of the transfer files that you may initially receive when you click on the download link that we provide to you. It contains the permissions necessary to view the document, but not the document itself. You should open the file directly or save the file and then double-click to open the book. The access codes in the .acsm file will allow the computer to connect to the host site and the book will begin to download, opening in your Adobe Digital Editions software.

Activation

Activation occurs when you establish yourself as the unique user of your particular installation of ebook reading software. With Adobe Digital Editions, this is done via an Adobe ID.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

A computer program used for displaying PDF files, not encrypted eBook files.

Adobe Digital Editions

Adobe® Digital Editions is software that offers you the means to view and manage downloaded Google eBooks and Adobe Digital Edition eBooks. Use it to download digital content and transfer DRM-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices, including the nook™, Sony® Reader, or Kobo® Reader.

Powells.com offers many eBooks that show their format as "Adobe Digital Editions." These eBooks work exclusively with the Adobe Digital Editions software.

Adobe ID

An Adobe ID is a free membership for the Adobe Digital Editions software that provides the functionality to activate multiple computers and devices for use with DRM-Protected eBook files.

Application

A fancy word for a program that was designed to perform a specific function. Adobe Digital Editions and web browsers are examples of applications.

Browser

A program that allows you to "surf" the Internet. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari are examples of web browsers.

Cloud

With regard to Google eBooks, cloud refers to Google's vast network of computer servers. This system provides you with a lot of benefits in your reading experience, including online accessibility and keeping your place when you stop reading.

Dedicated eReading Device

Also known as e-Book readers or e-Readers, these refer to hardware devices that are designed primarily for the purpose of reading e-books. Examples include the nook™, Sony® Reader, and Kobo® Reader.

Download

To transfer a file or files from a remote computer to the user's computer.

DRM

This acronym stands for Digital Rights Management, a technology used to protect digital products from copyright infringement. When you buy a DRM-protected eBook, the eBook is encrypted specifically for you. To view the eBook, you must activate your software, a process that verifies your identity and provides an electronic key for opening your eBooks.

eBook

"eBook" is short for "electronic book." Depending on the type of eBook, it can be read on your computer, your phone, or a dedicated reading device.

eBook Library

Your Powells.com eBook Library is where all of your purchased eBooks are stored, as well as where you can go to download your eBooks.

EBX.ETD File

After purchasing an Adobe Digital Edition eBook or downloading a Google eBook, this is one of the transfer files that you may initially receive when you click on the download link that we provide to you. It contains the permissions necessary to view the document, but not the document itself. You should save the ebx.etd file and then double-click to open the book. The access codes in the ebx.etd file will allow the computer to connect to the host site and the book will begin to download.

Encryption

A method used to translate digital information into a code that cannot be accessed without the necessary secret password or key that decrypts it.

ePub

ePub is the standard eBook format that makes it possible to optimize and customize text and images for both large displays like a desktop computer and small screens like a smartphone.

Firewall

A firewall is a hardware or software solution to enforce security policies. In the physical security analogy, a firewall is equivalent to a door lock on a perimeter door or on a door to a room inside of the building—it permits only authorized users such as those with a key or access card to enter. A firewall has built-in filters that can disallow unauthorized or potentially dangerous material from entering the system. It also logs attempted intrusions. Sometimes, a firewall might not allow eBook files through them, and you will need to talk nicely to it.

Flash Plug-in

Flash Plug-ins enable you to view documents that have been created using Flash software. This accessory is necessary to complete the download for Adobe Digital Editions. The plug-in can be downloaded free from Adobe.

Geographic Restrictions

Due to license agreements, some eBooks are only available for purchase in certain countries.

Google eBooksTM

Google eBooks is a way to enjoy your favorite books, online and offline, powered by Google. You can read Google eBooks on your computer, your smartphone, or your electronic reading device.

Google eBooks are kept on the cloud (Google's computer servers), which means you can do more than just read your book. You can buy new and out-of-print books, switch from one reading device to another without losing your place, manage your digital book collection on your digital bookshelf, and write reviews for other readers to see.

JavaScript

A popular scripting language that is widely supported in Web browsers and other Web tools. It adds interactive functions to HTML pages, which are otherwise static, since HTML is a display language, not a programming language.

Operating System

A computer program that controls the components of a computer system and facilitates the operation of applications. Windows 7, Windows Vista, Linux, and MacOS are common operating systems.

PDF

PDF, or Portable Document Format, is the standard format for document interchange created by Adobe.

Reading Device

A reading device is the hardware a user uses to read an eBook. Devices currently available include dedicated ebook devices, smartphones, and personal computers.

Temporary Internet Files

Temporary Internet Files are the cache of websites you've visited through Internet Explorer. This means that when you load a web page with Internet Explorer, it is saved on your computer, so that if you later decide to open the same page again, it will open much faster. Temporary Internet Files improve speed of web browsing and also make possible so-called "off-line browsing," which gives you the ability to open web pages from the cache even when you are not connected to the Internet.

Web Reader

The Google eBook Web Reader allows you to read any purchased Google eBook through a web browser with online access and JavaScript enabled. This allows you to take advantage of a full screen for a more pleasant reading experience, accessed directly from Powells.com. If you re-size your browser window, the Web Reader will scale the book pages up or down to fit.

• back to top

Follow us on...