I took some time to review all of these announcements. While I am excited about the DX, I feel that $500 is still a very high pricetag. One of the goals here is to reduce students’ costs. And while they are heavier, netbooks, and even notebook computers, can be had for $500, and some e-textbook providers are claiming that Amazon’s prices will be higher (than current e-textbook versions sold for computers) for their digital versions. Where’s the savings? Yeah, the Kindle is sleek, lightweight and will hold thousands of titles (how many does a student need?) But a netbook is also a computer, with internet access, word processing, spreadsheets and database programs. The Kindle is, well, an ereader.
I’m certainly not denigrating Amazon’s direction. I’m actually quite impressed and hoping their trial run in 5 universities reveals lots of good information about students’ needs and habits. Forum boards are buzzing, however, with reactions from students worldwide, most saying the device is “way too expensive” and that textbooks will still be as much as 50% the cost of hardbacks. They also mention that electronic texts “can’t be sold back” after the school year, and that they think, for the price, the DX should “at least be in color.” A few even speak about pirating the ebook versions and thereby paying nothing.
We’ll see. I’ve written to Governor Arnold to offer my help with regard to getting the free digital books into our high schools. It’s the least I can do.