[unboggling]

Originally Posted by Rob_E

What is frustrating about the iPad vs. Android/Kindle? The file system, or lack thereof, is something that, to me, makes it challenging as a computer replacement, but when supplemented with a computer, it ceases to be much of an issue.

I get frustrated with the shannigans shenanigans necessary for side loading an iPad, it's not KISS. I don't like doing everything through iTunes, that doesn't seem KISS to me either. I don't like that I can't see all the files on IOS device all together in file system, rather than only seeing an IOS app's particular files through that particular IOS app. That's what frustrates me with iPad. It's not as frustrating with iPhone, with its small screen and its main purpose as a phone, since I use iPhone primarily as a phone and a music player.

Originally Posted by Rob_E

Some devices may drop after Christmas, but the iPad probably will not. Traditionally their prices remain firm until a new version is released (so far new iPads have been released in the spring).

Good to know.

Originally Posted by Rob_E

It's definitely worth seeing what's available and what devices support the available formats. It seems like Apple is pushing for their own platform-specific solutions. If they are successful, then an Android device might limit available textbook options. At any rate, with Apple currently dominating the tablet market, it seems unlikely that many, if any, textbooks will be released in a format that's incompatible with the iPad.

Maybe. We'll see. I think in the long run Android will do better than IOS because of their different philosophies. But I may be wrong. At least I like the Android approach better myself. The market will decide how discerning the users really are.

Originally Posted by Rob_E

Many of us are used to paper and are uncomfortable with the transition to digital, but that may not be as true for the younger generation. And page flipping is one area where I love an ebook. Some books with endnotes have not been converted well, but when they have, the ability to flip back and forth is much better in the digital format.

Assuming someone is comfortable with digital over print, then it's worth doing price comparisons of the formats. I believe some digital versions come in considerably cheaper then their print counterparts. Given the high cost of textbooks, this could make the effective price of the tablet less then the actual price once you factor in savings on textbooks. That's something to look into and keep in mind before school starts.

Depends on the person, the reader app, the format, the device capability, the search capability, the annotation capability, the bookmark capability. The KISSiest solution to me is to study the physical object itself (e.g., paper book) using general human adaptability in studying, which cancels the need for an electronic format, a reader app, and a device all with outstanding textbook reading features (which AFAIK are not common yet). Yes, paper is heavier and probably more expensive. It's all a trade-off of pros and cons with a lot of variables. EDIT: And yes, I'm biased, an oldtimer used to studying on paper.