Why aren't e-textbooks selling?

Parents Forum
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<p><a href=“http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16522217.htm[/url]”>http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16522217.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Because reading long stretches of text on a computer screen is tedious and hard on the eyes – that’s why.</p>

<p>At work if I have a document or e-mail over about two pages long, I print it out to read it. An e-textbook would never work for me.</p>

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<p>I think I can guess why it’s not catching on–.pdfs and similar formats are pretty inflexible and just generally a major pain in the you-know-where. Some free advice to the companies: make it searchable and interactive! Being able to search for a term in a chapter, or in the whole book, would make a big difference to me, as would being able to highlight, underline, or scribble in the (metaphorical) margins. </p>

<p>Also, how are they preventing piracy? It wouldn’t be that hard to either e-mail or print (colleges with free printing, watch out) the whole textbook to a friend.</p>

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<p>“Being able to search for a term in a chapter, or in the whole book, would make a big difference to me, as would being able to highlight, underline, or scribble in the (metaphorical) margins.”</p>

<p>^I think that would make these books popular very fast.</p>

<p>I also think it’s more difficult to read on a computer, but I guess you could zoom in as much as you like, so it’s not that bad.</p>

<p>My daughter had to read a 400 page $80 book recently that was available free on the internet in non-printable PDF format (I didn’t know such format existed before…) Needless to say, she read it on the computer…</p>

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<p>In my classes, we need to have a written copy of the reading in class. It’s easier with a hard copy to read for long periods of time, highlight, take notes in the margins, read anywhere at anytime, etc. Most students can find cheaper copies of the books by using sites like Amazon, buying used copies from bookstores, or buying used copies from friends.</p>

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<p>While I much prefer to curl up with the traditional book format - so much of the pleasure and practicality of reading is connected to the book as a tangible object - I am drawn toward the convenience and access of the e-book format. The number of e-books available from major university presses, even in the public domain, these days is growing exponentially, or so it seems anyway. Since I don’t have easy access to well-stocked bookstores or libraries, access is the major draw for me rather than saving a buck. I either read online or, if possible, print out the text. Not as neat or gratifying as reading a properly bound copy on good paper but a boon nonetheless.</p>

<p>My college sophomore S’s basic strategy seems to be to avoid the university bookstore at all costs. So far, I have never heard him mention the e-text option. At the u-store, used copies are in short supply because most of the students circulate used textbooks on an informal internal campus network - either sharing, selling, or even renting out books. Most of the time this truck and barter system works well - and word gets out quickly if the new pricey editions on sale offer only minor changes from the ones already in circulation on campus so students just recycle the older books among themselves. That said, I do think that e-textbooks ought to get out there and grab a better market share in those fields in which the texts are constantly revised and updated - which brings to mind another reason why this format hasn’t taken off - it may well be that all too often those hefty, pricey textbooks just stay on the shelf since most students consider them to be merely supplementary materials anyway. As the article in the Miami Herald points out `Put that all together, and digital is a really powerful solution for the industry. But it’ll only be important if we can get the consumer – and professors – to realize how really great that is.‘’</p>

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<p>Certain readings need to be brought to class for discussion, so that the student can say, “on p. xxx, the author says that…” this could be solved by having students print out relevant excerpts. Printers are very cheap nowadays.</p>

<p>T=textbooks, if done well, have the potential of containing far more information than conventional books, through links that do not clutter up the main texts but can be clicked on for additional information (as in the wikipedia format) They should also make revisions easier and cheaper.</p>

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<p>Easier to carry a “real book” into the bathroom, around campus and onto an airplane for reading :)</p>

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<p>I think that this is one of those technologies that will take off with the “next generation” of students - those that are still in middle school. Particularly as e-book reader technology improves (so that you can take a hand-held into the bathroom).</p>

<p>I also hope that high schools will begin considering e-book versions of their textbooks, so that kids don’t have to walk around with 35-40 pounds of books on their backs! Keep one set in the classroom for classroom work and let the kids use the e-books at home. What those backpacks do to kids’ posture, alignment and spine health is criminal!</p>

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<p>My 2 HS students weren’t issued science textbooks this year. Instead, they received a password for an online textbook.</p>

<p>H and I have found it much harder to work with – especially when trying to answer a specific question. Flipping through a chapter or section, skimming quickly, is so much easier with paper books. Also, 2 people can look at a paper page at the same time while sitting at a table. Swiveling the laptop is much more cumbersome.</p>

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<p>I am drawn toward the convenience and access of the e-book format</p>

<p>I like books
My 16 yr old uses sticky notes to flip through easily when she needs to return the book relatively undamaged- my older D attended a private school where books were just added to to tuition- so she highlighted at will.
Books are still “relatively” cheap-( we did find lots used at Powells though) and while I do not have any more room in my house for books I still buy them!</p>

<p>However- I do have a palm pilot and while I don’t read books ( and long articles I often print out) on my computer ( although I could) I do download books for reading easily while traveling- its pretty cool to not only have my address book & calendar & financial database in a small purse but also several other books to choose from like Naked by David Sedaris- Cannery Row/Steinbeck or Isabel Allende.<a href=“http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/[/url]”>http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But I think things are getting carried away. For instance my H builds airplanes- he makes specialized parts, oftentimes designing & building the tools needed to make the parts before hand.</p>

<p>It can’t be emphasized enough that H is just not comfortable with “computers”. I bought my first 18 years ago, because I thought if we had one at home, he would be more comfortable with them at work. he isn’t.
He can see what needs to be done with a tool or part by looking at it. You can’t see why the computer program isn’t doing what you want visually ( unless you read code)
They don’t give him plans anymore. He has a laptop on his workbench and he is just supposed to access the screen. There is a distinct disadvantage. He can’t see the whole thing at once & it is difficult to make notes on the plans themselves ,not to mention read them.</p>

<p>I won’t even go into how big of a stress that seems to be everytime a blueprint is needed.
I think even if * I was * doing that job, I would prefer to have the blueprint in my hands and not on a screen. It actually seems pretty dumb to me to have laptops on the workbenches- so much dust and risk of damage?
WHile e-texts are certainly much cheaper- I think they are not as accessible for a large portion of the population who finds it necessary to hold something in their hands. I don’t think that is necessarily a tech issue but a learning style one</p>

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<p>Loyola’s student newspaper “The Phoenix” recently printed a rather long information- packed article on the costs of new and used textbook, university bookstore sales and profits, and the limited e-textbook market.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://media.www.loyolaphoenix.com/media/storage/paper673/news/2007/01/24/News/Textbook.Prices.Pack.Punch-2671233-page4.shtml?sourcedomain=www.loyolaphoenix.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com[/url]”>http://media.www.loyolaphoenix.com/media/storage/paper673/news/2007/01/24/News/Textbook.Prices.Pack.Punch-2671233-page4.shtml?sourcedomain=www.loyolaphoenix.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I use ebooks a lot for class. Our library subscribes to various online collections and they’re very handy - especially with the search functions etc. One collection even autoreferences if you copy paste quotes! I don’t mind reading on a computer at all - I’m invariably typing an essay at the same time, so it doesn’t make much difference. And as for curled up with a book, well that’s what laptops are for! :D</p>

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<p>Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade-name
“BOOK.”</p>

<p>BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology; no wires, no electric
circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It’s so
easy to use even a child can operate it. Compact and portable, it can be
used anywhere, even sitting in an armchair by the fire, yet it is powerful
enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc.</p>

<p>Here is how it works: BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered
sheets of recyclable paper, each capable of holding thousands of bits of
information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device
called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.</p>

<p>Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of your finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by simply opening it.</p>

<p>BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting. The Browse feature allows you to
move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish.
Many come with an Index feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any
selected information for instant retrieval. An optional “BOOKMARK” accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session, even if the BOOK is closed.</p>

<p>BOOKMARKS fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKMARK can be
used in BOOKS by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKMARKS can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.</p>

<p>You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an
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Intercommunication Language Stylus” – or – “PENCILS.”</p>

<p>Portable, durable and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the
precursor of a huge entertainment wave. BOOK’S appeal seems so certain that thousands of content-creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to the new phenomenon. Look for a flood of new titles soon.</p>

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<p>I teach at a community college. It is hard enough to get students to read a real text, but getting them to go online is even more difficult. Many of my students are non-traditional and don’t have easy online access or adequate computers. In my discipline, students need to be able to refer to chapter material while solving homework problems and an e-book might actually require more time to accomplish this. In my experience, smart publishers are streamlining their texts to save on printing costs (my students typically pay $150+ for a new book) and shifting the “extras” such as ethics cases, real world examples, guided practice problems, etc. to the internet where motivated students will seek them out. I have responding to publisher surveys about e-books for close to 5 years and they don’t seem to be taking off any more now than when they were first pushing them (again, speaking only for my discipline).</p>

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<p>Upcoming high resolution electronic paper with a dpi >300 is right on the horizon. Once it becomes readily available, the eBook will become common and the paper book collector’s items.</p>

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<p>The average amount Harvard students spend on textbooks, compact discs , course packets, and other related materials is pushing $1,300 a year. Jeremy R. Knowles, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, and Benedict H. Gross, dean of Harvard College want Harvard University professors to reduce student expenditures on textbooks and other course material by putting those items on line or by deciding earlier if they plan to use the same textbook in subsequent semesters.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/09/cut_costs_of_books_at_harvard_deans_urge/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Education[/url]”>http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2007/04/09/cut_costs_of_books_at_harvard_deans_urge/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Education&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Why does Harvard charge for coursepaks?</p>

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<p>Prices can range from 10 bucks to $400.</p>

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<p>It is not the paper which is expensive. The publishers advertising, marketing and profits account for much of the cost and don’t change whether the book is an ebook or hardcopy. Personally, I have found hardcopy books much easier to read and study. I suspect the publishing industry is having a hard time trying to decide what to do for the future. An ebook is very easy to copy. I am sure publishers look at the recording industry and are concerned.</p>

<p>I think some publishers have found the approach that will work in the future. My D has a big, fat and expensive physics text. Part of the course involves logging on to the publishers webpage. Problem sets and reviews are done online. With time, I suspect more of the content will transfer to the online learning. There certainly has been a lot of talk about replacing today’s lecture format with online learning. Fewer teachers, less brick and mortar and lower costs for attending college.</p>