(From EDD 7005 Discussion #7)
As an early adopter of ebooks, I find the current trends and issues with using eBooks fascinating. I love any book I can get my hands on honestly, but I have to say, I just love my ebooks. Carrying around hundreds of books with me and being able to access them readily, is better than a security blanket.
That said, I also believe ebooks shoot themselves in the foot in terms of progression often. If I bought a book, I can read my book, give away my book, take back my book- all at my own whim. The ebook is often at the mercy of the electronic device or publisher permissions in terms of what I have and how I can use it, and where it goes. My Smaldino book, "Instructional Technology and Media for Learning," is a perfect example. I bought the 2015 kindle edition, and love it for ease of use, the ability to look up terms, to highlight, create flashcards- to use all of the features that the Kindle app provides. That said, all of the additional features of the book that were intended to be accessible by the authors, such as videos and interactive pieces to each chapter, are not accessible to me, because I bought it from the kindle app and not directly from the publisher. Kindle by the way, might limit my downloading of the book, such that while I can read the book on my tab and computer, my phone or work computer will not allow for it. Also, versioning of the kindle app or device used such as Android, Windows, IOS, etc. can affect whether the book can be opened. Then, there is the issue of whether the book is even available as an etext. Lastly, If I wish to share my etext, I am not permitted, as the books are pegged with a debilitating protection drm scheme instead of more easily accessible .epub (look this up, it is every bit worth getting angry for).
Due to my active lifestyle, I love and take advantage of my ebooks far more than my physical books- but until ebooks can escape corporate jail-time and can become more standardized, accepted, easy to cite, etc., ebooks will always be a controversial format for texts.
Due to my active lifestyle, I love and take advantage of my ebooks far more than my physical books- but until ebooks can escape corporate jail-time and can become more standardized, accepted, easy to cite, etc., ebooks will always be a controversial format for texts.