I’ve followed the development of the Kindle line with interest, but up until now, I have not been tempted to actually go out and buy one. I like books. Page-turners with pages to turn. But I have to say that the people behind Kindle DX are really listening to their customers.
The New Kindle DX Might Solve Our Textbook Cost Issue Once and for All
One of the original problems I saw with Kindle-type devices is that textbooks require interactivity. I am so sad to see students who are afraid to mark up their textbooks because they can’t get as much money back from the bookstores when they resell them. You just HAVE to mark up a textbook to get any good out of it. In our Study Guide for Discovering Biological Psychology, we have a special section on how to mark up your textbook most effectively. We know a lot about learning and memory as psychologists, so the least we can do is make sure our students know how to learn and remember. The new Kindle has a QWERTY keyboard that allows you to annotate your book just like the paper version. I’m sold.
As a textbook author, I’m also very excited about the potential these technologies have for reducing student textbook costs while compensating authors and publishers fairly. Right now, the only people making any money are the college bookstores and the used book sellers. I’ll bet they’re scared to death of Kindle DX. As I’ve tried to explain so many times, the main reason textbooks are expensive is that certain fixed costs (such as my medical illustrator’s expenses) can only be recovered from the people who buy new books instead of spread across all users. The used book sellers do not pay royalties to authors or publishers–they make pure profit. So if Kindle DX catches on at universities, there will be a one-time download of a book, and everybody using the book will chip in for those fixed costs. My guess is that a textbook that now costs $100 new will drop like a rock to about $25. Everybody wins–students and authors. The people who will be yelling are those used book sellers, and right now, I just can’t work up a lot of sympathy for them.
Okay, the start-up cost for Kindle DX is steep–$489. But over the cost of a college career, the student with Kindle DX will be paying a LOT less for textbooks, and they’ll be stored for future reference, too, instead of being sold back. I kept all of my textbooks, and although outdated, they formed the beginning of my adult library.
Way to go, Kindle.
13 Comments
fillups9 · May 9, 2009 at 9:18 am
I think this is a great idea. I think if the initial cost would go down the more students bought Kindle if it were to be in higher demand. I wonder if textbook publishers would really go for it though, because it seems like less people would be buying it initially because of the ability to share the text book?
Jenniferdonnelly · May 9, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I’m torn on the Kindle. I love to read, and I can see how having all my books, and the ability to download more whenever I want, in one place would be really nice. But, I really like books. I like actually holding them in my hands and seeing them in my bookcase. So I don’t know if I would like the kindle or not.
Sierrasmargon · May 11, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I say right on! It sounds very good for the environment, and is bound to happen at some point. I am sure they will come out with many others that will allow you to actually write on the screen and highlight certain parts of the book. The price is steep…but I think we can all say we have spent about that much in textbooks at least one quarter we have been in college. This sounds like it would be very beneficial for the authors as well. Although the students will not get to sell their books back, they are still saving money by not having to buy $130 dollar textbooks.
anhook · May 16, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I’m torn on the Kindle as well. I have always loved having a shelf full of books, but the Kindle is a very economical approach. It would definitely help people save a lot of money and wouldn’t be nearly as heavy as textbooks, but I don’t know if it could replace a book for me. I have always had a hard time reading off of a screen for a long period of time, so I don’t know if I would be able to get used to that. Overall, I think it’s a great idea and an incredible advancement in technology, I just don’t think it’s right for me.
ericabashaw · May 17, 2009 at 5:18 pm
As a serial book marker myself, I have to hold off marking up my textbooks due to buyback prices. The annotation feature is nice, but I like circling, highlighting, crossing out, underlining, and writing notes myself, in my own handwriting. Maybe that ability will be next for the Kindle, but for now… I’ll have to stick to paper and ink.
ljgarcia · May 17, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Kindle does sound like an economically savvy approach but i, like some people have stated above, am also a ” serial book marker”. i love highlighting and underlining and writing my thoughts and predictions on the book. it helps track my thought process as well as things that stand out to me. i think im going to keep it the old fashioned way. one thing is cool about kindle though, for ppl who need to save money and who can learn and understand just as effectively, by all means, go for it!
smervich · May 18, 2009 at 10:21 am
These Kindles make sense to me. I dread the beginning of each quarter, knowing I will have to spend around $250 for my textbooks. Going into El Corral is my least favorite thing to do. There prices are ridiculous. I often find most GE courses do not even use the books assigned in a substantial manner. It would be extremely easy for GE’s to adopt the Kindle package as most students do not have as much interest in the subject matter as they would their own major course. I am all for anything that lowers book prices as it is a huge burden for many students.
a_hussmann · May 18, 2009 at 11:30 am
I think the Kindle has both pros and cons. There is a huge benefit to being able to carry multiple books at once with immediate access to them. The lower cost of books over time is also a great advantage. But, (and I’m not sure if this is true) I have heard that people are generally slower readers when it is over an electronic medium than a print medium, and also have lower comprehension. If this is true, what effects will the Kindle have on reading speed and comprehension?
Kenneth · May 20, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I have a feeling though as the technology grows and becomes more popular certain publishers may only publish on one type of “kindle” (much like how the iclicker and the pearson clicker compete on the calpoly campus) which in the end may have to force consumers to buy multiple pieces of hardware. I think the concept is a good idea but in the end I have faith in the stores to get your last penny =).
SamanthaKapheim · May 21, 2009 at 7:22 am
I also feel that if competing publishers only allow their material to be available on their type of “Kindle” it would defeat the purpose of trying to save money by buying one. Also, being able to mark up a textbook with your own thoughts and underlining the points you want to enforce is a physical process that reinforces the mental notes you are trying to commit to memory. Personally, I don’t feel that reading them off a computer screen would have the same effect on my studying habits.
genevieve99 · May 28, 2009 at 3:54 pm
I haven’t decided yet how I feel about them. I am a complete book worm and my mom suggested I get one of them, 1) the books are incredibly cheap 2) light weight 3)portable…
but I just love having the book sitting on my shelf knowing I accomplished it.
So I haven’t decided yet if I should get one but I think they are great.
genevieve99 · May 28, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Another great thing about them is that you are able to add in foot notes that can be saved on line so you never lose them!! How easy!
The Truth About Textbook Costs | Laura’s Psychology Blog · May 29, 2009 at 9:12 pm
[…] tried previously on this blog to explain how the resale of textbooks is killing the publishers. Let’s try this one more […]
Comments are closed.