Textbooks in the Age of Tablets

Textbooks in the Age of Tablets

Textbooks in the Age of Tablets

When it comes time to buy your college textbooks, there are new options available to college students that just didn't exist a generation ago. Today's textbooks are now available in the form of e-readers and tablets. College textbooks can also be bought or rented online for dramatically reduced prices. Bill Gates has even stated that he believes that tablet based textbooks will replace print textbooks in the next few years. The bottom line is that running down to your college bookstore and paying whatever they charge for new textbooks is no longer the only option.

A digital textbook has some real advantages. Most college students experience more than a little sticker shock when they buy their first batch of college textbooks. There is no doubt that purchasing books that you can read on your tablet PC or e-reader will be a cheaper option than paying for an old-school paper textbook.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the price of e-readers and tablets are only cheaper if you already happen to own the reader. If you also factor in the cost of buying one of these devices, you are making a significant investment. This means that you might not reap the savings benefits of going the digital textbook route until at least 6 or 7 semesters have gone by.

E-readers and tablets also have the advantage that they weigh virtually nothing. Further, you can store as many digital textbooks as you are likely to need in just one lightweight and easy to transport device. This means that you no longer will need to try to decide which books to carry with you to class. Convenience is a definite perk that attracts many students to choosing digital textbooks.

However, there are significant drawbacks to using tablet or PC that many students fail to consider. While displays are making a great deal of progress, eyestrain can be an issue. This is especially true when it comes to students that are reading a very great deal. Also on some e-readers, all the text and images can only be seen in black and white. This means that you will be missing all of the bright colorful illustrations and diagrams that would be in a standard textbook.

Another issue that many students fail to consider is that when you choose digital textbooks, all of your "eggs" are an in single basket. In other words, if your e-reader or tablet PC is lost, stolen, damaged or just simply stops working, you could be in big trouble in all of your classes at the same time. In fact, you could be left trying to figure out how to replace all of your digital textbooks at once late in the semester.

Thus, there are definite and clear advantages and disadvantages to "going digital" in the realm of textbooks. Of course, there are ways to save money without using a digital device at all. One way is to rent your textbooks or buy used textbooks online. Many companies exist to cater to this specific need and the cost savings can be quite impressive. After all, a rented textbook or used textbook will be drastically cheaper than buying a new one.

Ultimately, while a regular textbook might not be as portable or modern as an e-book displayed on an e-reader, laptop or tablet PC, there is no denying which option is the most reliable. When is the last time you heard someone say, "My book won't open, what's going on?" The answer is that, of course, aside from a prank involving glue, this virtually never happens.

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