Also another benefit of eReaders: Saving paper & trees

I'm thinking we're moving to fast, how 'bout just getting the textbooks moved first on e-readers and let the extra features come later. I just want one little gadget to hold all my textbooks, that's it…..I'll use my computer for the other stuff for now. It would take all the physical weight and bulk out of my world and is a little easier on the eyes as there is less glare than shiny textbook pages and computers screens.

Zrb and Kate, your bickering is ridiculous. Blogs are next to never factual… by the nature of blogs it is someones feelings and opinions about a topic.

Nevertheless, I think the point was that ereaders for textbooks are under developed at the moment. Studies have shown that the Kindle and Ipad are insufficient for students needs. Reading a novel is one thing, but there comprehensive needs for a student is another. The most common programs used by students are ineffectively converted into "apps." Such as Adobe products and MS Office Products. Web browsing for researching is not a problem, but there are so many tools that a student needs that a device will need to include.
I am sure that the Ipad version 3 or 4 will be much more advanced than it is now. There will also be much more competition in the school market for the best comprehensive device. The Kindle is not meant as a comprehensive student devise. It is merely an ebook reader, nothing more.

This is my opinion, nothing more. Take no offense…

Clearly Greg doesn't know anything. In the CourseSmart app for iPad I can search for a word or a part of a word and it will find any page in the textbook with that word. It will also find any of my citations that have that word or phrase in it. I can also do anything that he claims to not be able to do within the app.

My cost calculation included the laughable buy back prices.

Again, CourseSmart textbooks match up exactly with the in text page numbers.

That is why you don't use a Kindle for e-textbooks, and also why I am solely defending the iPad.

I am not saying there are absolutely no cons, and I am not saying that they are for everyone. I was making a point that this author, and apparently you, have done a poor job in fully researching and understanding the full capabilities of the iPad as an e-reader. Media is supposed to be about reporting facts, not being biased and clearly pushing one way or the other. When the facts in this article were incorrect I retorted with corrections, granted I may push the iPad but that is only because I am correcting the original bias of this article.

So yes, the iPad does have some cons, and it is not for everyone, I agree. But don't convince people not to buy it based on false facts. That's like convincing people to vote for you based on false hope… but then again you probably bought into that too….

What you fail to mention is that you cannot sell your downloaded textbooks once you are finished with them. So any savings you may be getting upfront equates to the same as someone buying a textbook and then reselling it.

Plus you cannot buy used textbooks from an eReader, you have to pay full price every time.

As a college student, I can tell you that while I would love to use my iPad for a textbook, it just is not economical. When I am in class and the teacher says to pull out your book and turn to a specific page, it doesn't always translate over to the same page on an eReader. Plus, if you are using a Kindle, you are missing out on color pictures and other special features specific to that hardback book.

Look at Greg's comments above, clearly he knows more than you. You seem to be letting your ego wash away any true cons of using an eReader because you just think you are cooler than everyone else.

Since I have recently bought an iPad for this reason, I will only defend the iPad and not the kindle as I don't know much about it.

Price problem:
I think under $400 is a gross underestimate of the average students costs for textbooks/ semester. I am currently at Texas A&M and I don't know anyone who spends less than $500 a semester on textbooks. My average probably sits around $700 a semester with a maximum of about $900 for a single semester. Granted I am majoring in Genetics/ Biochem and science textbooks are much more costly than others. I try to get used as much as possible but new editions come out about every year and can cost as much as almost $300 for a single new book.

Availability problem:
Barnes and Noble and other large book stores aren't known for carrying e-textbooks, so why would you support your article based on their availability? How about, hmm I don't know, using a company that only sells e-textbooks? Coursesmart has nearly the same selection of e-textbooks as my local bookstores have in paper copies.

Price difference:
I myself took the digital leap this semester and after accounting for the price of my iPad I spent $150 more this semester than I would have going to my local textbook store… let me emphasize… "AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE PRICE OF MY NEW IPAD". Every semester after this will be much cheaper now that I have gone digital, in fact, every semester after this one will save me at least $200.

Other comments:
You did mention that iPad has color at least….
Unless you are completely technologically impaired, taking notes and highlighting on an iPad is simple.
Again, you did give credit to the multifunctional ability of an iPad… unfortunately it was in condescending manner. You failed to mention the countless other uses for an iPad in education. To name a few:
*you can take class notes on an ipad either by typing or by using a stlyus (just as easy as writing, pen to paper)
*apps for planners to keep your assignments organized and your exam days on mind
*various other helpful apps: calculator, periodic table, dictionary, databases, the list goes on

There are countless other benefits to using an iPad and e-books but I'm getting rather bored of listing them.

As a student who just replaced paper copies of textbooks for an iPad and e-books, I can say that I am very pleased. Not only with the cost but with the functionality of the iPad. Again, I can use it as a textbook, a planner, and all the tools I need to get me through out the day on campus.

Next time don't just hop aboard the hate train, do some proper research and maybe some interviews with students who are currently using this new type of system. Hope you don't have any plans to graduate past a reporter for an internet blog.

For e readers to replace bulky college text books, and its about time they did, the features have to be added: searching the index or a single chapter (to save time and increase relevance) by a term in whole or in part, going back and forward for viewed pages as one does with a web browser, highlighting, making notes in the page, consolidating highlighted entries into a printable page or save-able document.

It's about time, it is after all 2010.

But it's neccesary that school books editors begin to edit new books adapted to this new gadget (or better tool). The best is that possibly we will asume better to pay every year new versions of textbooks with a bigger range of benefits for editors.

And the solution is less expensive as buy computers for each student.

(I don't know how is goes at other countries, but here at Spain we, the fathers, must pay every year a lot of money – more than 150$ – for the text books of each our childrens)