The College Board calculated in 2007 that textbooks cost $850-$1,229 each year for students on average. The Department of Education’s Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance puts the number at $700 to $1,000. The cost of iBooks 2, Apple’s revolutionary e-reader program is, well, free. The prerequisite iPad 2 starts at 499.00 dollars and coupled with a wealth of apps for both your on campus and off campus life, is there really even a choice? Can you really be torn between the idea of hording a hefty tome of textbooks that you will use for one or two semesters and then sell back for a fraction of the purchase price? We have all bought the used books, sight unseen from shady e-retailers that contain more stick figure diagrams and mysterious stains than they do usable chapters. Can you ignore the attractive attributes of having a crisp touch screen wonder machine that weighs the same svelte 1.33 pounds no matter how many text books and compromising Facebook photos you pile onto it?
The iPad 2 is a worthy purchase my collegiate brethren, if not for its ever expanding abilities, but for merely its ability to save you money and the planet, some trees. Don’t overlook that wondrous new abilities of e-books, as they offer features beyond what the printed page was bound to, including 3D images, Interactive diagrams, study cards, and easy non destructive highlighting.
See what the digital page can do for you: Read more about more about Apple’s e-book initiative.
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