Week 5: Bits & Bytes

So based on this week's lecture about bits and bytes and the difference between WAV and MP3, I've decided to talk to you about storage and speed in terms of downloading media files onto a tablet or e-book reader. Instead of books on a shelf, the iPad and other varieties of the e-book are filled with bits and bytes of books. Each book in essence houses bits and bytes of audio and other media files in various formats ranging from AAC to MP3 formats with different downloading speeds.

First, with the iPad:
The iPad has the ability to download AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), and WAV, among many others. Having such a wide variety of downloading formats, all of which download at different speeds (none more than a few seconds to minutes depending on the size of the file). In terms of storage, one e-book on the iPad can take up less then 1/2 GB per 10 pages so the number of books you could store on the device could amass to way more than a bookshelf could hold. The iPad can hold anywhere from 16 - 62 GB, can you imagine the number of books you could hold?!

Kindle Fire:
The Kindle Fire, a more recent addition to the Amazon Kindle family and more similar to the iPad in a tablet sense, also has the ability to download AAC, MP3, WAV and many others. Just as with any other device, the Kindle Fire has such a wide variety of downloading formats and speeds, making it a more versatile device. Also, like the iPad, the Kindle Fire has the ability to store a large mass of books, only taking up about 1/2 GB per 10 pages as previously stated. The Kindle Fire holds 8 GB internally, which is about enough to hold 80 apps, plus 10 movies or 800 songs or 6,000 books.

Overall, today's tablets and e-book readers are very versatile in terms of download formats, speed and storage space, so much so that book lovers will never have to worry about running out of room for their virtual bookshelf.

Until next time -