1. Uncompetitive Textbook Pricing
Kindle textbooks are less expensive than print versions, but not by much. Many titles are only a few dollars cheaper on the Kindle. Considering ebooks cost the publisher virtually nothing to make and distribute, how is this fair to the consumer? A Kindle book should at least be cheaper than a used book. It's usually the other way around. Students 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.
2. Lack of Book Availability
Unless you're hell-bent on completing 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 even then professors in lower-level classes still use hard-to-find books. The fact of the matter is the Kindle hasn't caught on with textbook publishers. Until this happens, the Kindle is useless to students
3. No Resale Value
Besides the expensive prices and lack of availability, you can't sell a Kindle book. College students can recoup 30-50% of their textbook costs through resale. This isn't 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 the physical benefits end there. Unless you fork over $379 for the Kindle DX, the 6-inch screen on the standard model is too small for textbooks. Searchable text helps make up for this. However, the device only lets you read a small subsection of text at any time and constantly changing pages gets annoying very quickly. Visual learners will also miss the color diagrams and pictures that stimulate learning.
5. Cost of the Kindle
Kindle textbooks provide little up-front cost savings and have no resale value, 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 as a dedicated textbook reader.
Dan is a photographer, freelance writer and Kindle owner. He enjoys writing about new technology, especially the Amazon Kindle and Kindle Cover. When he is not reading or writing, Dan spends time with his family.
