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Six colleges and universities are participating in a pilot program using the Kindle for accessing textbooks. Princeton University, the University of Virginia, Case Western Reserve University, Reed College, Pace University and Arizona State University are all testing the technology in select courses this fall.
In May, Amazon announced its launch of a new version of the Kindle (the Kindle DX) with a larger screen designed for textbook and periodical reading and a better web browser. This pilot program is putting the new e-reader directly in the hands of its intended market.
The colleges are hoping the pilot program will lead to another way for them to increase their sustainability by reducing their use of printed paper. Textbooks and other course materials will be made available online for the classes and students selected to use the Kindles.
This idea is great, but mainly because textbooks and course materials should be available electronically at all schools for all classes, whether they're accessed by a Kindle, a laptop or on a computer at the library. It seems like that conversion is long overdue for textbook makers and universities. The universities participating are ones that have a bit of influence, so let's hope that if they adopt electronic course materials, others will quickly join them.
via Green Inc.
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written by EV, August 04, 2009
Green Joy, you must be a liberal arts major. Us engineers don't give our books back as we need to reuse them even in the workforce. We would hate for this to happen to our engineering textbooks. It might be fine for novels that you'll only use for one class, but not for technical books.
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written by Fred, August 04, 2009
That's interesting hope it takes off with other universities
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written by Keith, August 04, 2009
EV, You can keep your technical books for a door stop. The technology will change in five years or less and you will be stuck for the entire cost of the book and then the cost of disposal. Give me a flash drive and save my aching back.
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written by Bryan, August 04, 2009
So I guess I don't get your comment... "We would hate for this to happen to our engineering textbooks." When you buy the text book through Amazon it would stay on your account forever. Even if your kindle broke and you got a replacement. So this is a much better solution over using a book that could become tattered and worn overtime. The only down is your personal library might look a little pathetic 
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written by Magnulus, August 04, 2009
When you compare the environmental cost of making a book to that of making an e-reader... How many books are there to an e-reader? How many electronic books would you have to get instead of printed ones in order to actually make a positive impact?
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written by Brett, August 04, 2009
I think electronic form would be great, but not on the current Kindle device. It needs to be made more readable, quicker page turns. I studied math and it would have been much more difficult referring to formulas on different pages in a Kindle.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 04, 2009
EV - think of having all your text and reference books with you when you go into the field or travel for work. No more "Wait until I get back to the office and I'll look that up.".
Brett - sounds like what you want is an additional feature (perhaps it's already there) that allows you to create a quick access page. Simply "favorite" a page and assign it to a category such as Formulas, Great Quotes, Strawberry Recipes, etc.
Magnulus - current version about 1,500 books. I don't know the break even point, but I'd bet it's way, way less than 1,500 books.
There might even be an energy break even point reached when one calculates the oil used to transport some of our personal libraries when we move house a couple of times. I know that I have a pickup load of paper to shift each time I relocate.
My understanding is that textbooks are so very expensive because of relatively low sales. I wrote a textbook for a class that I was teaching (none existed) but while publishers thought it good they didn't pick it up. Far too few similar courses were being taught across the country.
Lots of text books go out of date quickly. Moving to electronic books means that a new textbook would involve only the author(s) and an editor. Costs should greatly decrease.
Brett - sounds like what you want is an additional feature (perhaps it's already there) that allows you to create a quick access page. Simply "favorite" a page and assign it to a category such as Formulas, Great Quotes, Strawberry Recipes, etc.
Magnulus - current version about 1,500 books. I don't know the break even point, but I'd bet it's way, way less than 1,500 books.
There might even be an energy break even point reached when one calculates the oil used to transport some of our personal libraries when we move house a couple of times. I know that I have a pickup load of paper to shift each time I relocate.
My understanding is that textbooks are so very expensive because of relatively low sales. I wrote a textbook for a class that I was teaching (none existed) but while publishers thought it good they didn't pick it up. Far too few similar courses were being taught across the country.
Lots of text books go out of date quickly. Moving to electronic books means that a new textbook would involve only the author(s) and an editor. Costs should greatly decrease.
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written by Magnulus, August 04, 2009
Thanks, but I wasn't asking about the cost to the consumer. I was talking about how much CO2 is released into the atmosphere per book compared to per Kindle. Hence: Environmental cost, not economic cost.
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written by C, August 04, 2009
How much cheaper would these textbooks be? At least with a physical book I could buy it used and sell it with only a difference of maybe 20-30 bucks. If a $100 dollar physical book costs $50 on a Kindle but I can't sell it when I'm done, then that's a $50 dollar loss (not counting the price of the actual Kindle). This is the same crap my college tried to do with making us buy "university specific texts" that had chapters missing so it was cheaper upfront, but then you couldn't sell it to anyone after you didn't need it anymore (stupid business classes).
@Engineer: I was CS, so maybe it's different, but my dept got wise and stopped making us buy books and just gave us links to electronic resources and titles that may help, but weren't required.
@Engineer: I was CS, so maybe it's different, but my dept got wise and stopped making us buy books and just gave us links to electronic resources and titles that may help, but weren't required.
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written by Magnulus, August 04, 2009
Sorry, ignore my previous bit. I was lazy enough not to read the entire reply.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 04, 2009
Magnulus - that's exactly what I was addressing. Making and destroying/recycling books takes energy. As does moving books around.
C - since Amazon can "recall" Kindle books as they did with the ones by Orwell, I would assume there could be a used e-book market down the road. Amazon should be glad to earn some profit off the exchange.
And you wouldn't be getting a marked-up, dogged ear copy....
C - since Amazon can "recall" Kindle books as they did with the ones by Orwell, I would assume there could be a used e-book market down the road. Amazon should be glad to earn some profit off the exchange.
And you wouldn't be getting a marked-up, dogged ear copy....
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written by Andrew, August 05, 2009
It'll be great when the delete your textbooks just like they deleted a bunch of copies of 1984 off of peoples kindles.
I wanted to pick one up before amazon started pulling crap like that.
before that screw up, amazon was filtering out any pro gay/lesbian book from their search listings.
I don't trust a company that keeps messing up like that.
I wanted to pick one up before amazon started pulling crap like that.
before that screw up, amazon was filtering out any pro gay/lesbian book from their search listings.
I don't trust a company that keeps messing up like that.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
Andrew - do you understand what happened with the Orwell books?
Sounds like you don't.
Sounds like you don't.
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written by Andrew, August 05, 2009
Bob,
i do understand what happened with the Orwell books.
A publisher who didn't have the rights to the books put them up for sale as an e-book.
When Amazon was notified of this, they proceeded to go into peoples kindels via the G3 internet connection that is in every kindel, delete the copies of the books, and reimburse the users accounts.
Sorry, i don't want to by an e-book reader from a company that thinks it's ethically okay to essentially break into my house, take back something i bought from them and leave me a check for the item.
Even if the publisher who put the books up was in the wrong, i refuse to do business with any company that thinks it's okay to delete things i've bought from their online store.
I think i'll pick up a Sony e-reader instead. It might not have an internet connection, but they are introducing a cheaper touch screen model that costs as much as a kindel 2.
i do understand what happened with the Orwell books.
A publisher who didn't have the rights to the books put them up for sale as an e-book.
When Amazon was notified of this, they proceeded to go into peoples kindels via the G3 internet connection that is in every kindel, delete the copies of the books, and reimburse the users accounts.
Sorry, i don't want to by an e-book reader from a company that thinks it's ethically okay to essentially break into my house, take back something i bought from them and leave me a check for the item.
Even if the publisher who put the books up was in the wrong, i refuse to do business with any company that thinks it's okay to delete things i've bought from their online store.
I think i'll pick up a Sony e-reader instead. It might not have an internet connection, but they are introducing a cheaper touch screen model that costs as much as a kindel 2.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
Sorry, I just don't see it that way. Amazon got had by someone who sold them something that he/she didn't actually own. Amazon had to take it back.
No different than if you bought a used car from a lot that turned out to be stolen and had a fake registration. It's going back to the real owner, whether they knock on your door first or the repo man just sets the hook.
No different than if you bought a used car from a lot that turned out to be stolen and had a fake registration. It's going back to the real owner, whether they knock on your door first or the repo man just sets the hook.
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written by Makenn, August 05, 2009
I don't like the idea of the Kindle. Ever read Fahrenheit 451?
Hank, your brother is an author, and has posted a video about how electronics have hurt his industry... Kindles aren't helping.
Hank, your brother is an author, and has posted a video about how electronics have hurt his industry... Kindles aren't helping.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
Makeen, F 451 is about destroying books, destroying the information in books.
"E-books" are about making books, the information in books, more accessible.
We've gone from the wandering poet/storyteller who had one book in his head and one might get the opportunity to hear one told in their lifetime, to handwritten books available to only the very wealthy, to affordable printed books.
In my lifetime we've gone from expensive hard bound books to inexpensive paperbacks versions of the "good stuff".
Now we're looking at a future where the cost of getting a book "published" is going to drop to near zero.
E-books will likely kill the publishing houses. Just like on line music has largely killed the record companies and computers wiped out layers of middle management.
But, if anything, look for much more written word. The admission fee has just been slashed.
"E-books" are about making books, the information in books, more accessible.
We've gone from the wandering poet/storyteller who had one book in his head and one might get the opportunity to hear one told in their lifetime, to handwritten books available to only the very wealthy, to affordable printed books.
In my lifetime we've gone from expensive hard bound books to inexpensive paperbacks versions of the "good stuff".
Now we're looking at a future where the cost of getting a book "published" is going to drop to near zero.
E-books will likely kill the publishing houses. Just like on line music has largely killed the record companies and computers wiped out layers of middle management.
But, if anything, look for much more written word. The admission fee has just been slashed.
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written by EV, August 05, 2009
Re: Keith
My technical books won't be out of date in 30 years. The transistor doesn't change, nor capacitors, nor does controls theory, or how to perform a structural analysis. I've bought textbooks from the 40s that are still up to date. I think you overestimate how much things change in engineering.
Re: Bryan
Until whatever company you buy the book from goes out of business and you lose your license to the file.
Re: Bob Wallace.
Never been a problem so far.
Re: C
I, too, use online references for programming. However, engineering is quite a bit different when dealing with massive numbers of proofs, theorems, equations, graphs and other things. While some places do offer some decent quick references, they have yet to replace any text book I've had, especially when it comes to the upper level engineering courses.
My technical books won't be out of date in 30 years. The transistor doesn't change, nor capacitors, nor does controls theory, or how to perform a structural analysis. I've bought textbooks from the 40s that are still up to date. I think you overestimate how much things change in engineering.
Re: Bryan
Until whatever company you buy the book from goes out of business and you lose your license to the file.
Re: Bob Wallace.
Never been a problem so far.
Re: C
I, too, use online references for programming. However, engineering is quite a bit different when dealing with massive numbers of proofs, theorems, equations, graphs and other things. While some places do offer some decent quick references, they have yet to replace any text book I've had, especially when it comes to the upper level engineering courses.
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written by Lexi, August 05, 2009
Yeah, but can you highlight, flag, and jot notes on a kindle? What's the point of a text book you can't learn from?
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
Lexi - from Amazon's description...
By using the QWERTY keyboard, you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. Using the new 5-way controller, you can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use.
By using the QWERTY keyboard, you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. Using the new 5-way controller, you can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use.
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written by Ralf, August 05, 2009
Having everything book one nice little box is great, but what happens when some new technology or device takes over 5 or 10 years from now. Remember those Walkmans?
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
The stuff in the current "nice little box" is digital.
The stuff in the next "nice little box" will be digital.
Wi-fi.
The stuff in the next "nice little box" will be digital.
Wi-fi.
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written by Ralf, August 05, 2009
I don't want to sound 90's, but a book will still be a book in 20 years, where as most likely you will have to convert the 1500 books to some other new format when the next digital device comes about.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 05, 2009
Ralf, how long do you think that would take?
It took me many hours to copy (rip) my 250+ CDs to hard drive. It takes me only an hour or so to copy them all to a different hard drive.
If format somehow changes it might take two hours, not months.
(Given the rate at which computers get faster it might take only minutes.)
It took me many hours to copy (rip) my 250+ CDs to hard drive. It takes me only an hour or so to copy them all to a different hard drive.
If format somehow changes it might take two hours, not months.
(Given the rate at which computers get faster it might take only minutes.)
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written by For Privacy, August 08, 2009
I have issue with the way Kindle/Amazon controls its media. In the case of Orwell's book. I've heard that it is a public domain in other countries. So technically if one were to travel outside of US, download the copy, and reenter, it would be legal to have it on Kindle.
I think the issue here is about HOW what you supposedly own is controlled by someone other than yourself. And the monitoring that goes along with it. Where as if you bought a book, it's your alone, and you have total control of what you do with it.
I think the issue here is about HOW what you supposedly own is controlled by someone other than yourself. And the monitoring that goes along with it. Where as if you bought a book, it's your alone, and you have total control of what you do with it.
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written by Bob Wallace, August 09, 2009
For -
Were Amazon to remove something that you legally obtained from another source they would be committing a crime.
Amazon took back something which they had sold and had no authority to sell.
Don't take this into tin hat land....
Were Amazon to remove something that you legally obtained from another source they would be committing a crime.
Amazon took back something which they had sold and had no authority to sell.
Don't take this into tin hat land....
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written by Mechanicaldan, August 22, 2009
I'm with engineer on this. Kindle would be fine for some liberal arts class where I had to read a book once and never reference it again, but as for engineering books, give them to me in hardcopy. When the power goes out, the hardcopy will still work. When the Kindle battery is dead, the hardcopy will still work during a long study session.
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