Are e-books the future?

In class, there has been a lot of talk about new technology, and I am overwhelmed by what we are going to be able to do in the future. There will come a day when we no longer need a mouse or keyboard for our computers. Our appliances will have Internet connections to be able to diagnose problems and upload new instructions. Cars will be able to park themselves. It seems to me that we are going to be living in a science-fiction world that I remember as a child as being unrealistic. However, this fiction is becoming reality. I cannot relate to these new forms of technology yet, so I wanted to talk about something that we are starting to see more of today: the e-book. As a child, I would have never dreamed that the books I read could be available in any other form other than on paper. After researching it a little, I have to say that I actually favor the new technology.

So what exactly is an e-book? An e-book "can be anything from the digital version of a paper book, to more interactive content that includes hyperlinks and multimedia." These books are downloaded and viewed on either a computer or an e-book reader, shown in the picture below. It may look like it could be small and hard to read, but the e-book actually has a zoom feature where you can make the words larger, unlike reading a paperback book with smaller print. It also allows you to read at night more easily because of the backlight feature. I know that sometimes I am traveling and would like to get some reading done, but when it's night time I have to stop my work because I can no longer see. The other winning factor for me is that it is light and easy to carry, unlike many of my textbooks. My backpack is always exploding because I am carrying around so many books with me, and sometimes I find that I have time to get some reading done between classes, but I didn't bring the book with me because I did not want to carry that extra weight around. I have started to have back pain due to carrying so much weight, and it also throws my alignment off as a dancer. Therefore, eliminating the weight of textbooks is the biggest advantage for me of the e-books.

http://futureperfectpublishing.com/2008/12/

When I think of my classes and all of the books I have, I can't help but think of all the paper that is being wasted. It is a huge expense and is bad for our environment. I would like to see e-books becoming more popular in the future for this reason. Yes, the e-book does have its downfalls. For instance, using the e-book reader takes batteries, and what happens if you need it for class and your batteries die? You can read more about the pros and cons of e-books at http://hubpages.com/hub/Ebooks-Versus-Paper-Books-The-Pros-and-Cons. Another question I have is how are professors going to handle this new technology, especially if you are viewing e-books through your laptop? I already know of many professors who do not want you to use laptops during class, even if you are taking notes on it. Is this going to change in the future? Do you think that one day it will be harder to find paper copies of books because everything will start going to e-books? If it does happen, how long will it take before we reach that point?

The Textbook Industry

So, having spent thousands of dollars, at this point, on textbooks over the years, our discussion about how the internet is changing many industries including the textbook industry really peaked my interest. I researched an article by the The Cornell Daily Sun entitled, “Changing Textbook Industry Forces C.U. Store to Adjust,” that discussed the decrease of textbook sales at Cornell University’s bookstore. Just like every other business, it has been deeply affected by the economy as well as by the growth of e-commerce. Professors are both assigning less textbooks to save the wallets of their students and students are also finding alternative ways of getting books.

Textbook sales are down due in large part to the availability of cheaper books on the internet. Many students use sites such as Amazon or eBay to both buy and sell used books, avoiding bookstores all together. The advancement of the internet has also inspired some textbook companies to go electronic, selling electronic textbooks as opposed to hard copies. As producing electronic textbooks entails very low production costs, this is an ideal medium for textbook companies. University of Toronto Computer Science professor Paul Gries feels that “e-books” are necessary for students of this generation.

“The way students study has drastically changed,” Gries opined. “They now only skim their textbooks — the e-book is much better suited to today’s student.”

Another advantage to e-books is that professors no longer have to choose one book to teach from, but can instead mix and match books, tailoring the students’ required textbooks to better fit their curriculum.

Upon reading about these e-books, I have to say that I really wish that they were available when I started school, as I am about to graduate and will not benefit from the lower costs of these books. I’m happy though for future generations, happy that they might not have the same financial burdens as I have had in buying textbooks.