I just bought a digital textbook at Beck’s. A fan of eBooks and eReaders, I figured the digital copy of the textbook, which was less than half the price of the hardcopy, would be a well worth the investment. After downloading the book, I am, however, dissatisfied with this system.
First, I didn’t know that the digital textbook I was purchasing would expire after a particular period of time; I was hoping to keep the textbook permanently.
Second, I can access the textbook only through software provided by the company, CourseSmart, on my laptop. The program lacks a full-screen mode, which is essential for focused reading, and the text is poorly rendered and fuzzy.
I am starting to regret this buy.
Chris Kirk is a Medill junior and The Daily online special projects editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
