Once upon a time, there were books - hardcover and paperback. One day, this young man carried a dictionary, thesaurus, two textbooks, and a novel all in his back pack everyday to school and back. Then the e-Reader came along. That same young man could carry his dictionary, thesaurus, 20 textbooks, and 100 novels all in his backpack and barely feel like he had anything in his backpack. The world had changed and books were at his fingertips - usually in 60 seconds or less.
In the time that it takes to go to a bookstore, find a book, pay for it, and get home, a person could have downloaded a book and read the first chapter or two. With e-Readers such as Kindle, iPad, and Nook, one can have hundreds of books that weigh less than a pound. Long gone are the days when people toted books at airports and on busses. Schools such as Abilene Christian University and Seton Hall have offered their students iPads and are helping them integrate different forms of mobile learning.
The high cost of textbooks can be to blame for student demand for e-Readers and e-Books. Representative David Wu (D - Oregon) says the House Education Committe "recieves more mail from constituents about textbook prices than about any other issue" (http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/08/17/textbook_costs_are_off_the_charts/). With college textbook prices going up approximately 6% a year, e-books are the best alternative to save money and back pain. The following video discusses how backpacks and back pain for children:
Are the days of highlighting and underlining long gone?
You are right Husa that 'those days are long gone' when we use to carry a heavy bag pack to school everyday with only 5-6 books. Indeed the advent of mobile technology (including laptops, smart phones and e-readers) has revolutionized our entire learning process! :)
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