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1. Uncompetitive Textbook Pricing
Kindle textbooks are less than print versions, but really not by very much. Many titles are only a few dollars cheaper on the Kindle. When you consider that ebooks cost the publisher virtually nothing to make and distribute, this is not very fair to the consumer. A Kindle book should at least be cheaper than a used book. It's usually the other way around. Students really have no incentive to buy Kindle textbooks when the college bookstore has a 'used print' version for less. In comparison, Nook textbooks tend to be much more competitively priced. This is an area that Amazon will need to address fairly soon if they are to keep the student population happy.
2. Lack of Book Availability
Unless you're determined to complete a general studies degree, you'll have trouble finding books for advanced classes on the Kindle. This might be fine for your first two years of college, but after that professors in lower-level classes will still use hard-to-find books. The fact of the matter is that Kindle hasn't quite caught on with textbook publishers. Until this happens, the Kindle is more or less useless to students. It is to be hoped that over the next few years this will be handled and more textbooks introduced for students.
3. No Resale Value
Besides the expensive prices and lack of availability, you cannot resell a Kindle book. College students can recoup 30-50% of their textbook costs through resale. This is not an option on the Kindle. And once again, Kindle publishers do not price their works to compensate for this.
4. Physical Limitations
The Kindle can be a real asset because of its small size and high-quality E-ink screen, but that is where the benefits end. Unless you are prepared to pay over $379 for the Kindle DX, the 6" screen on the standard model is far too small for textbooks. Searchable text does help make up for this. However, the gadget only lets you read a small subsection of text at any time and constantly changing pages get annoying very quickly. Visual learners will also miss the color diagrams and pictures that stimulate learning. In the long run it might be worth it to purchase the Kindle with the larger screen even though it is more expensive.
5. Cost of the Kindle
Kindle textbooks provide very little up-front cost savings and have no resale value at all, but what about the cost of the Kindle itself? At $139 the introductory model isn't a bad deal. Given the shortcomings of textbooks on the Kindle, however, you'd be foolish to buy one if you consider yourself a dedicated textbook reader. Hopefully over the next few years this problem will be solved and the Kindle made more attractive to students.
Megan Sara Jones is the author of four Ebooks published on Amazon. For more information on this article, or all things connected with Kindle readers or Ebooks please visit Everything Kindle.
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