The future of textbooks?

Amazon.com has introduced a large-size Kindle reader designed for people who want to read newspapers, textbooks and other documents. While the device has not yet been tested in the market, educators are already wondering whether this is the development that will move high school and college textbooks off the printed page and onto the electronic screen. Unfortunately there are no color graphics available, and those will be missed especially by the younger readers, but that enhancement is no doubt coming. How the economics of distributing e-textbooks will be worked out remains to be seen. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger is seeking e-textbooks to supply students there. Who will pay for all the digital readers for students? How expensive with the content be? Publishers will save on production costs but skilled authors and editors are essential for producing quality materials. Much remains to be seen, but perhaps this is one step in solving the problem of unaffordable textbooks in schools.