Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
College Texbooks on iPad
- Thread starter maddan
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If those publishers want the money, they'll try very hard to get it up and running before the education season starts.
Depending on your field, some field like CS and IT is probably already ready to go with Safari Books Online, which is in development for iPad right now.
I really hope so... mostly because I believe they will be cheaper and that way I can get the most out of my current college budget. And if one goes to school in the city, it would suck having to carry all those books around. An iPad is like, perfect.
oh how nice it would have been to have had all my college books on a single ipad. My back would have appreciated it as well!
My point exactly! I was just thinking about that yesterday: necessities for college -- MBP, iPad, and iPhone. My whole life made easier by the combination.
Isn't the cheapest MacBook Pro and the cheapest iMac the same price? If I were going to college now, I think I'd consider iMac+iPad. I know for some majors you really need a portable computer, but if you can get away with using the iPad as your mobile computing device, then in my experience, a desktop is so much more comfortable to use than a notebook.
That's true... I'll guess I will have to see how the iPad will fit in when it comes out, and then I'll make my decision on iMac/MBP.
Actually, I just looked on Stern's website: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/it/services/mobile.html, and it looks like a portable/notebook computer is a must. So the iMac/iPad thing won't be a viable choice
. I liked the idea, though.My gut is that the textbook market generally will hold out for some time. The textbook publishers are generally old-school and very resistant to change. Plus, it's harder to justify a $100+ price on an e-book and given the relatively low volume of the text book business they rely on high margins to stay profitable. That said, I'm in law school and I would probably pay a premium over the hardcover book price to get it in e-book format simply so I didn't have to carry the damned things around.
My overall point is that I wouldn't hold my breath for anywhere even close to universal acceptance of the e-book model from the textbook publishers. It's unfortunate, but it's a nuanced business model that seems to simply refuse to adapt. Of course, it seems that it doesn't have to because it has a very captive audience and the professors who select the books don't really have any interest in whether the books are e-format or traditional.
My overall point is that I wouldn't hold my breath for anywhere even close to universal acceptance of the e-book model from the textbook publishers. It's unfortunate, but it's a nuanced business model that seems to simply refuse to adapt. Of course, it seems that it doesn't have to because it has a very captive audience and the professors who select the books don't really have any interest in whether the books are e-format or traditional.
I can see the whole iPad thing taking off in the Education sector, however, saying that by next semester it will be a viable solution is pretty crazy. I think some of the big textbook providers will be on board, but anybody who has taken college courses know there is that ONE professor that prefers some book handwritten in the 1800's and printed locally on a copy machine.
If Apple plays their cards right, the iPad could become a required thing to have at some colleges. There is already a local High School in my area considering getting an iPad to every student.
If Apple plays their cards right, the iPad could become a required thing to have at some colleges. There is already a local High School in my area considering getting an iPad to every student.
Yes they will be available as soon as next semester, I will have my books very close to the ipad launch I believe.
CourseSmart, an ebook provider I currently use, already has an iphone app, so at minimum I will be able to use that, and they have also been working on the ipad app for quite some time.
Purchasing textbooks through the ibook store? I am not sure exactly
But I will be able to use textbooks for 3 of my classes on the ipad, I actually bought them in this format at the beginning of the semester to use on the ipad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSjXO7Odh9E
I know some people really hate the subscription based model. I feel the same way, and if its a major textbook in my field of study, I will probably buy a hardbound copy.
CourseSmart, an ebook provider I currently use, already has an iphone app, so at minimum I will be able to use that, and they have also been working on the ipad app for quite some time.
Purchasing textbooks through the ibook store? I am not sure exactly
But I will be able to use textbooks for 3 of my classes on the ipad, I actually bought them in this format at the beginning of the semester to use on the ipad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSjXO7Odh9E
I know some people really hate the subscription based model. I feel the same way, and if its a major textbook in my field of study, I will probably buy a hardbound copy.
The cons of digital textbook are that you can't sell them back to your bookstore or online for some of your money back and not to mention, you can't lend them to your classmates or friends if they are taking the course after you.
I sold back most of my books for half the price, keeping the most important ones. My friends usually borrow the books from me as well, so sometime it does help to have a physical textbook even if it means spending more and helping your friends save money.
I sold back most of my books for half the price, keeping the most important ones. My friends usually borrow the books from me as well, so sometime it does help to have a physical textbook even if it means spending more and helping your friends save money.
I agree with what is being said; about the fact that iPad textbooks might not be a viable solution to the publishers themselves. Yet I am almost confident that it may be time to make the switch to digital permanent. It's quite obvious that the takeover is imminent, and any publisher that does not see that is in denial. Make everyone's lives easier: switch to digital. Talk about an active approach to saving our environment.
Switching to digital doesn't save the environment, it only reduces some of our impact on the forests, nothing else. Digital means without clean energy, we'll continue to pollute the air with the coal fired plants that supply electricity to our devices, the factories that produces our devices, the precious materials destroyed to make the material that goes into our devices and flying those devices around the world. Books are not exceptions to those, factories print those books, fly them around the world and so on. So really, where does the saving the environment come in? Reducing some impacts only to increase in other area isn't saving, just passing the bucks.
And I suppose that the books are printed by some sort of fairy, leprechaun, or the Easter Bunny using materials that magically appear. And then, Santa Clause and his reindeer transport them to the thousands of school and resellers every semester.
When trying to make a point in the future, discuss the positives and negatives of both technologies (printing vs. electronic).
Hickman
And I suppose that the books are printed by some sort of fairy, leprechaun, or the Easter Bunny using materials that magically appear. And then, Santa Clause and his reindeer transport them to the thousands of school and resellers every semester.
When trying to make a point in the future, discuss the positives and negatives of both technologies (printing vs. electronic).
Hickman
Are you kidding me? Should I also get a PhD and write a thesis on this as well? I wasn't trying to make a point between printing vs electronics. I was trying to tell the person I was quoting that switching to digital does not save the environment and I did explain that it reduces SOME of our impact on the forests and NOTHING ELSE, which suggests that it doesn't change anything for our impact on the environment meaning it's bad for both. I had no intentions on going any more deeper than that. You can feel free to go more deeper.
It was the way that you phrased the original post. You said "instead of..." insinuating that printing books did not use electricity, get printed in factories, or use any materials.
Just clarifying my point and the reason for my post. I don't really know or care which is best for the environment. I prefer electronic though for no environmental reason whatsoever (just easier to carry).
Hickman
I was thinking about building one of these this summer:
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-High-Speed-Book-Scanner-from-Trash-and-Cheap-C/
I too am in college and spend a ridiculous amount on textbooks every quarter. I know its not the most morally correct solution but I was thinking about scanning an entire textbook and returning it when done. That way I could just read it on my iPad. Yes it would take probably an hour or two to scan some of my textbooks but when youre looking at a $200+ book thats not too bad.
http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-High-Speed-Book-Scanner-from-Trash-and-Cheap-C/
I too am in college and spend a ridiculous amount on textbooks every quarter. I know its not the most morally correct solution but I was thinking about scanning an entire textbook and returning it when done. That way I could just read it on my iPad. Yes it would take probably an hour or two to scan some of my textbooks but when youre looking at a $200+ book thats not too bad.