Comments on: Kindle Textbooks

By: Carol Everett

Carol Everett — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:08:04 +0000

Please make textbooks available for download to the Kindle!!! I dread packing my textbooks up and down the hill @ WKU!! I mean it is MURDER on my back!! And the expense of textbooks is overwhelming to a college students pocket!! Sorry it would upset the profit margins of bookstores but frankly it is a ripoff to pay 300.00 for a text book at the beginning of the semester and get 30.00 for it on buy back a couple of months later!!

By: Melody

Melody — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:12:41 +0000

I really cannot see a downside to using the kindle for textbooks. Not only would it help prevent a generation of hunchbacks -my backpack ways over 30 pounds with 1/2 my books in it, not including notebooks and all my other stuff- but also its a lot cheaper than buying textbooks. I spend 500-600 dollars every year buying textbooks for school, the kindle itself is about 300 I think, and the kindle DX is around 500, it just seems all around… better. Plus, you only have to buy the kindle once, not like replacing all your books every year, and having a huge pile of books collecting dust in your closet.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:57:52 +0000

Amazon currently has a “textbook” section for Kindle, but it’s populated by novels and mass market nonfiction, not textbooks. This looks bad. Textbooks are the perfect use for Kindle.

E-readers using phones are not as good an experience, and I would never choose to study that way. Kindle’s actually a good reading experience. Amazon and textbook publishers need to get on that.

As for Lori’s concern — a sudden Kindle malfunction would be equivalent to losing your textbook — highly unlikely, but something to deal with if it takes place.

By: Lori

Lori — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:17:54 +0000

I don’t have a Kindle, so I’m not sure about this….all electronics go on the fritz on occasion. With a text book I don’t have to worry about not being able to access my information, unless perhaps my dog gets the book. What chances are there for the kindle to freeze up or lose my book or just die on me? Are my professors going to buy that?

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:25:03 +0000

Kindle Reader said: “the price of the wide-format kindle is a bit steep.”

Competing E-Reader manufacturers could dominate the market if they
offered book subscription services. For example, a person signs a two-year subscription to download a minimum number of books from Barnes & Noble, they get an eReader (of some sort) for $39.

Something like cell phone contracts and cheap cell phones.

By: Kindle Reader

Kindle Reader — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:39:52 +0000

I’m pretty sure I read that several large textbook publishers are on board. The Kindle DX has the potential to be huge success with students.

I think there are two big challenges for Jeff Bezos regarding the academic market. First, the price of the wide-format kindle is a bit steep. Add to the fact that many people still haven’t personally used a kindle and you can understand why many will shy away from it. Amazon should consider offering education discounts if they really want Kindles to be the popular choice on campus.

I write regularly about the Kindle, so if anyone wants more to read, visit me at KindleChat.com.

By: Kacie

Kacie — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:03:26 +0000

I suggest everyone that agrees with this (Kindle Textbooks) go to Amazon.com and flood them with requests to make textbooks available.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:19:32 +0000

Here’s another situation where an innovation (Kindle) is an absolutely perfect solution for a big problem (high cost and weight of text books)
- yet the imbedded commercial interests won’t make any money from it -
therefore adoption of the innovation is stymied.

It’s very frustrating - and stupid.

Obviously, the market for Kindle textbooks is HUGE.
If an innovative publisher started offering high incentives to textbook authors to publish their textbooks in a Kindle format,
they would get a headstart on this explosive market, and make a fortune.
A Win-Win-Win for the publishers, authors and students.

This would bypass the current archaic text-book publishing/sales industry… and allow students the world over to finally enter the 21st century of education.

By: John Maxen

John Maxen — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:53:00 +0000

Can you give more details on this?

By: Brandi w

Brandi w — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:54:14 +0000

I would not want to replace the books I read for leisure with Kindle. However, as a college student I would buy one in a second to replace my textbooks! My god. if the ink moves to form the words imagine what they could do with math books! Add MP3 tech to the thing and they could give an optional mini math tutor! As for the book store, they could sell the Kindle along with all the other things they have there. They could have a resale market of the kindles themselves. I LOVE this idea…