I had an iPad to pick up from FedEx.
Until recently, I was happily a part of the iPhone-only nation. It wasn't until I started pricing my textbooks for the Spring semester that I had a change of heart. Enter CourseSmart, a digital textbook provider offering course materials that can be accessed via Internet or one of Apple's addictive devices. Not only are these ebooks cheaper, but I can actually fit more than one in my bag when I head to the library. Yatzee!
With the increased popularity of other readers such as the Nook and Kindle, I was under the impression my decision was a reflection of the current market trends. A little research has proved me wrong though: even with the recent growth, the Book Industry Research Group reported ebooks account for only 8% of fiction sales in the 4th quarter of 2010.
Educational Marketer published a similar sentiment, citing that textbook rentals were still growing much more quickly than ebooks. Personally, I don't care how easy it is the return my textbook rentals. After boxing and lugging the box to be shipped, too much work for me. But I want to know what current students think- will the standard textbook option become obsolete in the near future?
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| via Daemonsbooks |
