Kindle for Textbooks?

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Anybody see any downsides to using a kindle for textbooks? Looks like it will be cheaper for me. I can access them on the device, and my laptop, and it saves the last page you were on.

I can't think of any reason it wouldn't be fine. Can you guys?

Paul_Heery · Paul_Heery's Garage

Can you use a highlighter plus make notes in the margins?

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

How long do you "own" the text book?

mikester · 07-19-2011, 01:42 PM

You can make notes and highlight stuff with the kindle products. If you have an iPad then you don't need a kindle - just the kindle app. Works great - I have both a Kindle and an iPad. The only complaint I have about the kindle is that compared to a regular computing device (iPad or better) it's really clunky to navigate. They are also a big fragile but Amazon is generous with replacements. I cracked mine within the first week I had it and they sent me a replacement.

Teutonics · Teutonics's Garage

Timely thread, subscribing. I'm hoping to get all of my daughter's textbooks on a device to take on a European trip. Much easier than lugging around textbooks!

gtc · gtc's Garage

I would have killed for a kindle with all my textbooks on it. I don't see any downside from a student's perspective.

I can't see how teachers would be able to allow their use in an open-book exam, though. There are too many ways you could cheat.

You could also buy a nook, root it and install android, then run the kindle app. I've played with one of these and it worked pretty well, albeit a bit slower than an iPad (due to the lower spec hardware that was to be expected, so I can't really fault the Nook for that.)

PorscheGAL · PorscheGAL's Garage

If you do the Nook, Barnes and Nobles lets you rent the books for the semester. I don't know if Amazon does that. Also the Kindle is just black and white. Are any of your textbooks going to have illustrations? Color could come in handy with Science books.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

You can either buy the books permanently, or rent them for a time frame that is user specified. You can highlight and take notes.
Amazon.com: Kindle Textbook Rental

However, it appears that only one of my books this semester is available, and only to buy, and not that much cheaper.....

I may pick up a kindle soon, and hope I can go that route in the near future. I have looked at iPads, but with the nearly new macbook, it seems a bit of a waste.

Oh and I am done with science related classes.....

LSA · 07-19-2011, 02:22 PM

If I had a kindle I would probably rent. But I prefer to just buy used especially a previous edition.
Since I only have a year and a half before my degree buying a kindle for books doesn't make much sense as I doubt I would save enough renting digital books to overcome the initial price of the kindle.