PDA

View Full Version : Kindle Textbook Rental

sillyhead
19th July 2011, 02:49 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000702481

This is pretty cool. My step daughter and I were just talking about this the other day. Books are so expensive these days, whew!
Piscivore
19th July 2011, 03:05 PM
That's awesome. I'm just starting school again to get my Bachelor's.
SomedayGirl
20th July 2011, 12:04 PM
My son starts this fall and we're strongly considering e-textbooks, especially for classes not directly related to his major. We think it's a great idea - super convenient and cost effective, not to mention weighs alot less than a standard textbook. BN has them as well.
Jack Astor
26th July 2011, 10:31 AM
There is a drawback to consider with kindle textbooks, which I ran into in grad school. They are tough to navigate, and it is difficult referencing back and forth. It's not the same feel or ease of use as a traditional book.

It did come in handy for some books, like novels and such. It was also great for pdf files, which can be easily converted into kindle format with Calibre.
Jeff Corey
26th July 2011, 12:46 PM
I tell my students that earlier editions of some their textbooks are acceptable and can be cheap on Amazon and other places. If they use them, they are warned about new material, which I present in class if it's important.
AdMan
26th July 2011, 01:08 PM
I tell my students that earlier editions of some their textbooks are acceptable and can be cheap on Amazon and other places. If they use them, they are warned about new material, which I present in class if it's important.


Good for you! And good news on the Kindle.

It's absolutely crazy how expensive textbooks are.
jj
26th July 2011, 02:01 PM
I find the idea of "rental" for serious textbooks to be a very ugly idea. I still use some of the ones I had in undergrad school as references.
Piscivore
26th July 2011, 02:14 PM
I find the idea of "rental" for serious textbooks to be a very ugly idea.
"Ugly"? Why?

I still use some of the ones I had in undergrad school as references.
Sure, but the purchase option is still always there. No one's being forced to rent books they can never look at again, are they?
kowalskil
27th July 2011, 06:48 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000702481

This is pretty cool. My step daughter and I were just talking about this the other day. Books are so expensive these days, whew!

Yes, this makes sense.
SkepticalDrew
30th July 2011, 07:33 AM
This might be something I'll try. Thanks!

Oh wait, I'll need a Kindle first. I'm debating on whether or not it's worth it to get one, because it'll probably used mostly for textbooks.

On the issue of referencing. Is content in Kindle books searchable, like some PDF's are? Because otherwise it'd just be more annoying than anything.
AdMan
30th July 2011, 07:42 AM
On the issue of referencing. Is content in Kindle books searchable, like some PDF's are? Because otherwise it'd just be more annoying than anything.

Yes--the Kindle indexes all content, so you can type any term you want to look for and it'll find it.