Etext Books

Journier · 09-20-2009, 01:06 PM

I am taking courses at Ashford University online. Just noticed today that they will begin offering etext books in October. Hope it is in a format I can put on my device. This is just one more stelp.

JVIPER88 · 09-20-2009, 04:57 PM

I thought about this whole idea of putting text books in an ebook format. Initially, I thought it was great... less money spent on books, much easier to carry, etc.

But then i thought about the practical use of something like this. In my experience with textbooks, I spend a lot of time flipping back and forth, going to the index or charts in the back and then going back to reading. It seems that with the slowness of the current screens, this is not feasible. It would take forever to get to the index of a book and then go back to where you were. Or to constantly flip between a graph on one page and what you were reading on the other.

I just think it would frustrate the hell out of me and I'd give up.

(I once book and online version of a textbook because it was much cheaper. Granted, this wouldn't be the same as being stuck to your desk while you read, but the same issues of not being able to quickly flip through pages got on my nerves and I got a paper book in the end.)

Journier · 09-20-2009, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JVIPER88

I thought about this whole idea of putting text books in an ebook format. Initially, I thought it was great... less money spent on books, much easier to carry, etc.

But then i thought about the practical use of something like this. In my experience with textbooks, I spend a lot of time flipping back and forth, going to the index or charts in the back and then going back to reading. It seems that with the slowness of the current screens, this is not feasible. It would take forever to get to the index of a book and then go back to where you were. Or to constantly flip between a graph on one page and what you were reading on the other.

I just think it would frustrate the hell out of me and I'd give up.

(I once book and online version of a textbook because it was much cheaper. Granted, this wouldn't be the same as being stuck to your desk while you read, but the same issues of not being able to quickly flip through pages got on my nerves and I got a paper book in the end.)

Now, why didn't I think of that? You are probably right. I have been thinking the same thing. It might especially be difficult for open book exams. There is a lot of going back and forth for that as well.

LDBoblo · 09-21-2009, 12:55 AM

Yeah, electronic textbooks are not too bad if you can view multiple pages simultaneously, and navigate very quickly. However, no ebook reader device right now is anything like what would be ideal for textbooks. Perhaps as demand for performance goes up, we'll see either useful advancement in electrophoretics like e-ink or we'll see them replaced by superior tech.

If I want to do any reference text reading, I stick to my desktop computer with my 24" widescreen that can display two pages at roughly full size. On the go...eee pc is the closest I have to a decent reader, and it's not that great.

I remember when I first thought about ebooks many years ago and how it'd be awesome to save all that space. I thought it'd be perfect for students who need to carry a lot of books. Unfortunately, it's still just science fiction. On the upside, it good exercise to carry books.

Hellmark · 09-21-2009, 01:17 AM

For a lot of what I do, a reader would be fine, but the support just isn't there. Most of the textbooks are in little used proprietary formats, that are not supported on any dedicated devices. Hell, most of them are Win/Mac only (thus leaving out PDAs and things of that nature too). And it isn't uncommon for the books to have expiration dates either. I refuse to pay prices at, or near, print prices when I am unable to resell the book and I cannot use it 6 months later (which, hey, if you have classes that reuse the same book across more than one semester, you're SOL). I should be able to use that book for as long as I want, if I am paying so much for it. Last book I got, $70 for the ebook, where as the print copy was $85, and the ebook has a 6 month expiration. Just not worth it.

emellaich · 09-21-2009, 11:13 AM

I am a professor at a university. I too wasn't excited about ebooks as textbooks. However, I may be changing my mind.

This semester I was forced to upgrade editions on a book I am using -- of course nothing really changed, but that is another discussion. Since it was a brand new edition, the book was only available as new and it cost students $140. Just after the semester started I found a digital/online copy for $70. Most students had already purchased the paper copy, but a few were able to buy the ebook and reported that they loved it.

Yes, it expires in six months but some students tell me that they were able to save it to pdf. Others printed it out -- I'm not so sure that the printing costs really make this a bargain, but my university offers free printing to students. Furthermore, this is a class where most students will likely sell the text back, not keep it.

Reading electronically seems to be no problem for the students, and the search capability is a real bonus.

MLH

Hellmark · 09-21-2009, 12:21 PM

The different types of DRM I saw, converting to PDF wasn't an option. I also don't remember if it could be printed (which, if it could, making a PDF would be possible as well) in attempts to curb piracy.

For a much as they want, I don't want that many restrictions.

fugazied · 09-21-2009, 06:35 PM

RE: academic texts It's a bit of a weird situation because many universities make a large profit as publishers, selling those insanely expensive academic texts. So in the university space you would expect resistance against moving to electronic devices.

It might mean millions less for universities printing traditional texts, so I thought they might be holding out for as long as possible.

Ebooks are a far better way to learn imo, annotations are fast and easy, searching is far more powerful, marking passages is far easier to manage. In fact now when I read traditional books or watch TV, I am always wishing for a control + f option.

emellaich · 09-21-2009, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fugazied

RE: academic texts It's a bit of a weird situation because many universities make a large profit as publishers, selling those insanely expensive academic texts. So in the university space you would expect resistance against moving to electronic devices.

Not at my school. The book store is independent (Barnes & Noble). I suspect there is some sort of revenue sharing agreement, but we (the professors) never hear of it. The book store is the easy source for books, but students are free to get books from any source they desire.

The only messages I receive from officialdom is to keep costs down for students. I am allowed to choose the books that I think best, and in some cases I have opted for no book. The internet has free information that I can compile in some situations. It means more work on my part.

nomesque · 09-21-2009, 08:23 PM

Etextbooks are a great idea in theory. I write software manuals for a living (wait, I'm going somewhere with this!) and the manuals are ruddy huge things that are released in electronic format only. As far as I know, they're rarely printed out in full. Usually I'd expect information-uptake issues, but it seems that careful, hyperlinked indexing and cross-referencing makes online reading easier than paper-reading in texts which people are going to be reading in small chunks or looking up particular bits of information.

As far as ebook readers go... I guess the big necessities I can see are support for hyperlinks and a 'back' button to take you to the paragraph you just left.

09-20-2009, 01:06 PM	#1
Journier Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 415 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Northern CA Device: Kindle Oasis	Etext Books I am taking courses at Ashford University online. Just noticed today that they will begin offering etext books in October. Hope it is in a format I can put on my device. This is just one more stelp.

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09-20-2009, 04:57 PM	#2
JVIPER88 Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: None	I thought about this whole idea of putting text books in an ebook format. Initially, I thought it was great... less money spent on books, much easier to carry, etc. But then i thought about the practical use of something like this. In my experience with textbooks, I spend a lot of time flipping back and forth, going to the index or charts in the back and then going back to reading. It seems that with the slowness of the current screens, this is not feasible. It would take forever to get to the index of a book and then go back to where you were. Or to constantly flip between a graph on one page and what you were reading on the other. I just think it would frustrate the hell out of me and I'd give up. (I once book and online version of a textbook because it was much cheaper. Granted, this wouldn't be the same as being stuck to your desk while you read, but the same issues of not being able to quickly flip through pages got on my nerves and I got a paper book in the end.)

09-21-2009, 12:55 AM	#4
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	Yeah, electronic textbooks are not too bad if you can view multiple pages simultaneously, and navigate very quickly. However, no ebook reader device right now is anything like what would be ideal for textbooks. Perhaps as demand for performance goes up, we'll see either useful advancement in electrophoretics like e-ink or we'll see them replaced by superior tech. If I want to do any reference text reading, I stick to my desktop computer with my 24" widescreen that can display two pages at roughly full size. On the go...eee pc is the closest I have to a decent reader, and it's not that great. I remember when I first thought about ebooks many years ago and how it'd be awesome to save all that space. I thought it'd be perfect for students who need to carry a lot of books. Unfortunately, it's still just science fiction. On the upside, it good exercise to carry books.

09-21-2009, 01:17 AM	#5
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	For a lot of what I do, a reader would be fine, but the support just isn't there. Most of the textbooks are in little used proprietary formats, that are not supported on any dedicated devices. Hell, most of them are Win/Mac only (thus leaving out PDAs and things of that nature too). And it isn't uncommon for the books to have expiration dates either. I refuse to pay prices at, or near, print prices when I am unable to resell the book and I cannot use it 6 months later (which, hey, if you have classes that reuse the same book across more than one semester, you're SOL). I should be able to use that book for as long as I want, if I am paying so much for it. Last book I got, $70 for the ebook, where as the print copy was $85, and the ebook has a 6 month expiration. Just not worth it.

09-21-2009, 11:13 AM	#6
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	I am a professor at a university. I too wasn't excited about ebooks as textbooks. However, I may be changing my mind. This semester I was forced to upgrade editions on a book I am using -- of course nothing really changed, but that is another discussion. Since it was a brand new edition, the book was only available as new and it cost students $140. Just after the semester started I found a digital/online copy for $70. Most students had already purchased the paper copy, but a few were able to buy the ebook and reported that they loved it. Yes, it expires in six months but some students tell me that they were able to save it to pdf. Others printed it out -- I'm not so sure that the printing costs really make this a bargain, but my university offers free printing to students. Furthermore, this is a class where most students will likely sell the text back, not keep it. Reading electronically seems to be no problem for the students, and the search capability is a real bonus. MLH

09-21-2009, 12:21 PM	#7
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	The different types of DRM I saw, converting to PDF wasn't an option. I also don't remember if it could be printed (which, if it could, making a PDF would be possible as well) in attempts to curb piracy. For a much as they want, I don't want that many restrictions.

09-21-2009, 06:35 PM	#8
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	RE: academic texts It's a bit of a weird situation because many universities make a large profit as publishers, selling those insanely expensive academic texts. So in the university space you would expect resistance against moving to electronic devices. It might mean millions less for universities printing traditional texts, so I thought they might be holding out for as long as possible. Ebooks are a far better way to learn imo, annotations are fast and easy, searching is far more powerful, marking passages is far easier to manage. In fact now when I read traditional books or watch TV, I am always wishing for a control + f option.

09-21-2009, 08:23 PM	#10
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Etextbooks are a great idea in theory. I write software manuals for a living (wait, I'm going somewhere with this!) and the manuals are ruddy huge things that are released in electronic format only. As far as I know, they're rarely printed out in full. Usually I'd expect information-uptake issues, but it seems that careful, hyperlinked indexing and cross-referencing makes online reading easier than paper-reading in texts which people are going to be reading in small chunks or looking up particular bits of information. As far as ebook readers go... I guess the big necessities I can see are support for hyperlinks and a 'back' button to take you to the paragraph you just left.

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