Rumors that Amazon will introduce a wide-format Kindle have the news media and bloggers speculating about whether the new gadget will spark an electronic-textbook revolution and lighten backpacks nationwide. Full Story »
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The reporter explains well what is at stake for the college textbook industry (both print and digital) with Amazon and the new Kindle's partnership with select universities. Informative -- the article includes detailed facts about the transition from print to digital textbooks and various efforts supporting it.
Publishers have already set up a digital store meant to serve as the iTunes of e-textbooks, and it has been slow to catch on. The online store, called CourseSmart, was started two years ago by the five largest textbook publishers. Now 12 publishers contribute content to the service, which offers more than 6,300 titles. The e-books are all designed to be read on laptops or desktops, rather than Kindles or other dedicated e-book reading devices. One problem for CourseSmart has been a lack of awareness by both students and professors that the service even exists.
What is keeping them from marketing this site to students and professors? With competition from Amazon’s new Kindle, perhaps the involved publishers will get a serious awareness campaign together.