E-Textbooks

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Recommended: Summary critique the high cost of college textbooks

Digital textbooks are evolving as a viable substitute to costly, hard copy textbooks. E-books are portable, less-expensive, and customizable. Unlike their hard copy counterparts, e-books can be stored on devices such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Ergonomically speaking, portable e-books reduce the physical strain of lugging around bulky textbooks to and from various destinations while at the same time freeing up storage space at home. Additionally, since e-books are produced digitally, the marginal production cost is much lower considering the fact that less costly resources are used in the production process—e.g. glossy coating and paper. Another benefit that e-books offer over traditional textbooks is the fact they are easily customizable. For one, e-book companies may offer free trials for users to gauge their affinity for e-books without any financial commitment. Also, some publishers allow users to download individual chapters rather than entire book. Despite these obvious benefits, the big question at hand is “what are some enablers and barriers to successful adoption and commercialization of digital textbooks?” This question will be explored in the following paragraphs.

The increasing trend in smartphone, tablet, and computer sales represents a strong market enabler for the commercialization of digital textbooks. Although originally perceived as tools for communication, leisure, or work, these devices are quickly becoming major resources for tapping into information while on the go. This rapidly evolving interest will serve as a critical stepping-stone for publishers to cross the river into the portable electronic device market. As an example of the already growing interest in digital textbooks, a simple search for ...

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... while the survivors are forced to reduce production to remain profitable. Moreover, information from the 2007 Census reveals that only 41 percent of households earning less than $40,000 own a computer with internet access, and this number drops dramatically as income decreases. The possibility that in the long run hard copy textbooks will at least remain at current prices, while any increase is conditional on future market conditions, raises an important question for how low-income students will be able to purchase high-priced textbooks. Here are some important questions: Will the government be forced to step in and change university policies? Will the government be forced to provide deeper subsidies to low-income families to purchase or rent these high priced textbooks? If the former takes hold, then what will be the outcome for the digital textbook market?

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