UNIMPRESSED: It's still a debate: how will students and faculty transition to digital textbooks? Is it inevitable? An Internet2 survey, conducted as part of an e-textbook pilot program at five participating universities, probed at some of these questions. Students and faculty were generally happy with low cost and easier portability. But common complaints revolved around a frustrating user interface and "eye strain." (No surprise then that some skipped the advanced features altogether.) The pilot used the Courseload e-reader app and content from McGraw-Hill. It would be interesting to see a study with other digital texbook providers, such as Inkling. In the meantime, smart students trying to save dollars should still check out 20 Million Mind's textbook price comparisons.
