“As for the publishers, this type of distribution would eliminate the school’s resale of used books, which was a benefit for the students but did nothing for them.”

As a student, I tried to purchase used books whenever possible to save money for my growing collection of Yes, Genesis, and Neil Young import CDs (please don’t remind me.) I also tried to sell my used books back to the store or another student at the end of the semester.

I’m curious to see if Dave’s prediction comes true. If Apple does succeed in securing deals with the textbook publishers, I’m almost certain other device manufacturers/companies (Amazon anyone?) would soon follow. Publishers would love to reduce the used book market on campuses. I’m worried that we wouldn’t see discounted textbooks in electronic format, just like we haven’t seen discounts in other forms of electronic media*.

How many users would prefer to get their textbooks in electronic form? At first, the cost of the e-textbooks won’t be the deciding factor, due to the initial cost of the tablet and the high cost of the textbooks themselves. I think it will be convenience that drives adoption of e-textbooks. There’s also no denying that the cool factor will play into this for those that have the means.

* My claim on the lack of discounts for electronic media is not based on any real data. I only comment based on personal experience. Physical CDs and DVDs are not necessarily more expensive because you’re losing the CD booklet and the extra features found on most DVDs with their electronic counterparts.

Doesn’t this sound like they lifted some of the original tracks from Queen? Some of those guitars sound exactly like Brian May’s original tracks.

Open the original YouTube link to view in 720p and 1080p.