From dwelling in caves to comfortably living in cosy houses and walking barefoot to soaring through the sky in aeroplanes, technology transforms fundamental aspects of our lifestyles.

Now the technological revolution is extending to arguably our most important source of knowledge – books.

The switch from paper novels and text books to electronic readers – or e-readers – allows people to take all the knowledge of those heavy volumes and access it through a single, lightweight electronic device.

Tablets, especially iPads and Kindles, have become a top-rated gadget for bookworms, many of whom are trading their beloved hardbacks for a more convenient reading experience.

One of them, 18-year-old Chanboth Oeun, first embraced the iPad three years ago. A third year law student, Chanboth needs easy access to most, if not all, articles of the law – which he is required to learn for his degree.

“To keep myself up-to-date I have to carry 10 books to school and my five bags broke,” he said, recounting the days before his technological awakening, which has also improved his access to content.

“Now I don’t need to order books from other countries. Just a tap, paying through Visa or Mastercard, and I get my desired books.”

Mesa Lang is another convert from the printed to the projected word, finding his super thin and light Kindle particularly convenient for travel.

“Since it has a long battery life, I read books when travelling on a plane, which is more convenient than reading an actual book,” Mesa said. And Mesa finds it is helping his education.

“Through using the Kindle, I can improve my reading habits. I can especially improve my English as the books I read are written in English. So I can learn words through its dictionary.”

The portability, long battery life and built-in features such as the highlighter and dictionary really bring readers and enhanced reading experience, Mesa finds.

As a communications specialist for the sanitation firm WaterSHED, the 22-year-old finds the Kindle’s soft liquid crystal display protects his eyes.

“It has very low light reflection on my eyes. I enjoy reading, staying focused and experiencing a greater variety of books,” he said.

The two satisfied e-book readers recommend that bookworms and those carrying heavy bags of textbooks might want to review their reading habits and make a switch to the 21st century technology that is making it easier than ever to access centuries of content.

Dara Saoyuthnea