I agree with stephalump! A rolling backpack is the way to go in your situation. E-books are good for reading, but not for studying. There's a difference in my opinion. I got the e-book and the hard copy for my pharm book, and I thought I would be using the e-book more, but it has been the other way around. The rolling backpack has been a lifesaver for me. I can take all my books and study guides to school and whenever I need them I can find them in my backpack. With the iPad you have to pay a fortune to get Internet access and not all the books are available in e-book format.