For this review I looked at Charles Dickens' David Copperfield from Project Gutenberg in EPUB, HTML, and plain text versions. The most noticeable difference that appeared among the three formats was that the plain text version, as the name of the format implies, was very plain and lacking in any additional formatting with the entire text appearing in just one font and one font size against a plain white background. The EPUB and HTML versions, however, allowed for additional formatting with chapter titles appearing in a larger and bolded font. In addition, the EPUB and HTML versions allowed the inclusion of illustrations along with the text. The HTML version also provided a beige background that I found easier on my eyes as opposed to the white of the EPUB and plain text versions. The EPUB and HTML versions also provided a hyperlinked table of contents that allowed the reader to jump immediately to the chapter of their choice whereas the plain text version forced the reader to painstakingly scroll or perform a keyword search to find their desired chapter. (I did notice that while the HTML version's table of contents worked properly, the EPUB version's table of contents would usually deposit me one or two pages before the actual start of the chapter I had selected.)

From the author's point of view, the EPUB and HTML versions allow greater control over the final format of the publication (such as font styles, sizes, and attributes; background color; and inclusion of illustrations) whereas the plain text version is just raw, unformatted text in all one font and size with no provision for background color changes or inclusion of illustrations. As a result, the EPUB and HTML versions had a more polished appearance that more greatly represents the final "vision" of the author.

Advantages of ebooks from the reader's perspective include greater affordability and greater portability than print books. An entire library, for example, can easily be carried by a reader in a backpack or even a pocket. In addition, the hyperlinked table of contents allows a reader to instantly move to a desired section of the text without having to flip pages in search of the correct page number. Ebooks also provide the reader with the means to highlight and make comments on the text that can be easily altered or even removed.

Advantages of ebooks from the author's perspective include greater and more direct personal control over the final product instead of having to rely on a publisher. In addition, the publication of ebooks is vastly cheaper than that of print books and, again, can easily be undertaken by the authors themselves. Ebooks can also instantly be provided to a much wider audience than print books.

Disadvantages of ebooks from the reader's perspective (at least for me) are largely sentimental and psychological in nature. With an ebook, one no longer has the ability to hold and physically interact with the text and the medium on which it's printed. I find this makes it harder for me to focus on the content of an ebook as opposed to a print book. Despite the ability to take notes and highlight text in ebooks, I found this to be of no help to me as the notes I would make only seemed to "resonate" with me if I had physically written them by hand myself. (The pressing of keys or a touchscreen is apparently a much more arbitrary and "meaningless" action to my mind than actually physically forming the letters of the words with which I'm commenting.) In addition, ebooks can be rendered unavailable due to dead batteries or even temporarily lost entirely due to hardware failure whereas books are always accessible. There are also studies that suggest prolonged exposure to computer and smart phone screens can be unhealthy which is another potential disadvantage of ebooks.

From the author's perspective, the main disadvantage of ebooks is the ease with which they can be copied and distributed with no financial compensation to the author. Another potential disadvantage is a loss of control on behalf of the author as to the appearance and layout of the ebook text: different ebook reader applications may display the ebook differently and all these applications provide the reader with a means of changing the layout, font size, etc. This is particularly problematic when it comes to poetry which often relies on strict line breaks and word/line placement on a page.