E-Books vs. Regular Textbooks

[loislane23]

Hello everyone :) I just got accepted to CSUSB's BSN program and start in January. My school is now offering our required textbooks as an e-textbook package as opposed to buying regular new or used textbooks. The E-text package is comparable to buying used books as far as price goes.

Have any of you used or currently use e-texts? If so how is it studying from a computer or reader? Would you recommend e-books instead of regular textbooks?

While I think it would be quite convenient to have all the texts accessible from a computer, laptop, or tablet which would allow me to not have to lug a ton of books to school and save my back I am also so used to and love real pages. I'm hoping some of you can give some advice.

Thanks so much.

[ChaseZ]

I bought the bundle that came with both the textbook and Ebook. I take my IPad (with all the Ebooks) to class instead of the physical books. I like using my IPad, it's easy to search for key words to follow links to other chapters or diagrams. It's nice for quick reading and reference. I could get by with just the Ebooks but when it comes down to actually studying I like going through the textbook and highlighting. It is mostly just personal preference. If you get EBooks I would suggest an IPad, I didn't like reading on my laptop and other readers are too small.

[kmb5683]

E-books are nice, but for studying purposes it is much easier to actually have the textbook. I have found that I use the textbook more at home/in study group when I am studying then the E-book. It is a nice idea to not have to break your back carrying all these books, but I much rather have a book in front of me then to squint to reader it on my iPad or make it bigger and then have to keep scrolling through the pages to read one chapter. Good luck :)

[LCinTraining]

There is a pretty long topic I made about this at the beginning if the semester. It works if you have a tablet PC or iPad best. I use two different apps in order to get all my text books, and still three were not available in e reader format. I did get ten of them though. Plus the journals we had to subscribe to. The drug guide works much easier as an app than as a book, so if anything aim for that one. Cox's nursing diagnosis book (I can't think of the title off the top of my head) was the most difficult to navigate with, but after a learning curve I'm finally figuring it out. The rest is pretty easy. The pages aren't the same but that's as bad as it gets, and with carrying my laptop everywhere and my huge day timer, it has really saved my back. Between work and other commitments, I study in snatches, so I have all my books with me at any given time. I can decide what I want to study whenever I have a moment and its normally just a matter of pulling out the iPad.