More Edu-Kindle thoughts

[dvandom]

I agree with people who posted in my previous thread that the Kindle has a number of issues (heck, my QuickLink to Plastic.com about this was titled, "Um, the DRM ate my homework?"). But I don't personally expect to use any flavor of Kindle unless I get a grant to test them out or somesuch.

Rather, I see this as being to textbooks what the iPod has been to music. If Amazon learns the right lessons, they can still be a major force in the field, but the important thing is that by proving the concept they'll lead to competitors that will be analogous to the River or Sansa. Once schools get used to the idea of a unified eText delivery system (and I expect several will be roped into multi-year exclusive contracts, but even those will go away eventually), alternatives will appear, DRMing will abate, and once again the guy in XKCD will need to find something else to complain about. ;)

Comments

[grant-p.livejournal.com]

One thing that would be GREAT would be if the kindle-content suppliers, whoever they may be, could give schools a license that could include what we usually think of as 'web based' content, sometimes available in textbooks, as direct hot-links, so that in class you could directly reference them. I'd also like to see a PPT viewer, so the presentations could be sent as well.

Please don't misunderstand my previous remarks, there are numerous issues but the platform could be great (it's a heck of a lot cheaper to recharge a thousand batteries every day all YEAR than it is to rebuy outdated textbooks of ANY subject, especially in cases where the school has to buy the books like in HS...)

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

The guy from Wiley and Sons who talked at the AAPT meeting the other year said such online content was part of the plan, regardless of the specific format etexts would take. From the provider end, too, a constant stream of low-level updating is infinitely preferable to "take a year off to revise the textbook" approach used now.