The e-book was invented in 1971 by Michael Hart, a University of Illinois student. However, the very first e-reader, NuvoMedia's Rocketbook, wasn't created until 1997, while the first successful mass market device, the Amazon Kindle, only arrived in 2007.
In his 1995 book, Gates anticipated the popularity of the gadget years before it went mainstream, noting: "Ultimately, incremental improvements in computer and screen technology will give us a lightweight, universal electric book, or 'e-book'".