Textbooks going extinct? - Printable Version

Textbooks going extinct? - Printable Version

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Textbooks going extinct? - Zipfanatik - 06-14-2009 12:38 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - niuhuskie84 - 06-14-2009 12:40 PM

(06-14-2009 12:38 PM)Zipfanatik Wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

Personally, having used some of these online materials and "e-books"...I hate them. I find the old fashioned way to be much easier to navigate, mark up, carry along with me...I cant tell you what a ***** it is trying to find a certain topic in a 500-page slow-loading PDF.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - Zipfanatik - 06-14-2009 03:08 PM

Another option would be rather than buying new sets of textbooks on a regular basis, get a quantity/educational discount on Kindles to be loaned to each kid and load them with open-source lessons. Apparently Amazon.com is already working on it...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071702597.html

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - smn1256 - 06-14-2009 04:03 PM

(06-14-2009 12:40 PM)niuhuskie84 Wrote:
(06-14-2009 12:38 PM)Zipfanatik Wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

Personally, having used some of these online materials and "e-books"...I hate them. I find the old fashioned way to be much easier to navigate, mark up, carry along with me...I cant tell you what a ***** it is trying to find a certain topic in a 500-page slow-loading PDF.

I agree. I still prefer a newpaper to reading an online news story.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - DrTorch - 06-14-2009 04:22 PM

(06-14-2009 12:40 PM)niuhuskie84 Wrote:
(06-14-2009 12:38 PM)Zipfanatik Wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

Personally, having used some of these online materials and "e-books"...I hate them. I find the old fashioned way to be much easier to navigate, mark up, carry along with me...I cant tell you what a ***** it is trying to find a certain topic in a 500-page slow-loading PDF.

Yeah, but a keyword search can be handy at times.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - Tulsaman - 06-14-2009 05:25 PM

books are annoying. give me a PDF file. cheaper too.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - niuhuskie84 - 06-14-2009 07:03 PM

(06-14-2009 04:22 PM)DrTorch Wrote:
(06-14-2009 12:40 PM)niuhuskie84 Wrote:
(06-14-2009 12:38 PM)Zipfanatik Wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

Personally, having used some of these online materials and "e-books"...I hate them. I find the old fashioned way to be much easier to navigate, mark up, carry along with me...I cant tell you what a ***** it is trying to find a certain topic in a 500-page slow-loading PDF.

Yeah, but a keyword search can be handy at times.

sometimes, and im not saying technology dosent have its advantages. the potential is great. but in its current stage, i find it more hassle than its worth. mouse clicking, key word searches, and scrolling still dosent come close to my own personal ability to flip through multiple pages and quickly scan for what im looking for, while at the same time holding down 2 or 3 other pages i want to quickly refer back to (all with the ability to mark it up, highlight, crease pages...do whatever). and i dont care what anyone says...its not comfortable curling up with a laptop.

the only issue i have with textbooks specifically is the ultra-inflated price and the need for publishers to come out with a new edition every year (thus killing the used market..which is what they're trying to do anyway).

but for normal reading, nothing beats the tactile, physical product. and plus i love the experience of browsing in a store..i rarely go into a shop with something in mind, but i almost always walk out with 3 or 4 paperbacks.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - Artifice - 06-14-2009 07:17 PM

(06-14-2009 12:40 PM)niuhuskie84 Wrote:
(06-14-2009 12:38 PM)Zipfanatik Wrote: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Economy/story?id=7827997&page=1

All college students have access to online materials. School kids that don't could go to a library or could print out a few pages at school that they would need at home for their homework that night. The money saved would help shore up school budgets, upgrade facilities, etc.

Personally, having used some of these online materials and "e-books"...I hate them. I find the old fashioned way to be much easier to navigate, mark up, carry along with me...I cant tell you what a ***** it is trying to find a certain topic in a 500-page slow-loading PDF.

RE: Textbooks going extinct? - Zipfanatik - 06-14-2009 07:30 PM

I used to want an e-book reader, but not for $300. If they'd get down to about $100 I'd probably spring. I've moved enough times that I'm ready to start reducing my shelves of books (and scanning/digitizing my files of paperwork). As far as the textbooks, California is under a budget emergency so they likely will be gone soon under The Governator (he11, they may have to start closing schools) and then other states will find the will to do the same. Maybe students will be able to pay an extra fee out of pocket if they still want the paper. Printed newspapers are on the way out as well.