The infographic puts together the most important dates in the history of ebooks, since the world’s first ebook was created by Michael S. Hart in 1971.
It’s surprising how few book lovers, including the ones who read on their e-readers or tablets, are aware that ebooks are with us not for five or ten years, but way longer.
The world’s first ebook was created 50 years ago, when I was just two years old, and the only piece of electronics at home was a radio receiver.
When Sony Data Discman was launched in July 1990, I finished a third year at the Warsaw School of Economics and was looking for a summer time job.
The first Kindle was launched back in 2007. At that time, I was a full-time ad man, and didn’t even think of devoting the rest of my life to ebooks (it happened two years later, when I downloaded Stanza app to my new iPhone).
Go, take a look at the history of ebooks and try to remind yourself what you were doing back then.

The visual is a part of the infographic celebrating 50 years of ebooks that I have designed for Ebook Friendly.
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