Princeton University to publish Kindle textbooks

Another prestigious school is embracing Amazon's Kindle e-reader.

Princeton University has announced that it will start printing Kindle-edition textbooks this fall, according to a story in The Christian Science Monitor.

Princeton follows Yale, Oxford, and UC Berkeley in creating textbooks for the Kindle. In the United States, there are about 2,500 four-year universities, so Amazon still has a long way to go.

But the Kindle should appeal to university students better than other demographics.

I wrote this week that I was putting off buying a Kindle until I learn whether I can read digital books on the iPhone 3G, which goes on sale July 11. If the handheld enables me to read e-books well enough, I'll probably pass on the Kindle. The reason is simple: the iPhone gives me much more for my money.

Students, on the other hand, do so much reading that they may be thankful for a device that can help save their backs. Instead of schlepping 10 pounds of textbooks, the Kindle can hold about 200 titles and it weighs only 10 ounces.

Instead of having to thumb through pages, students can find text instantly with Kindle's search feature. It also allows a user to highlight text and make notes.

It's been a long time since I was in school, but I remember those long lines to buy books in September and January. Contrast that with Kindle's wireless service and the ability to download books off the Web from almost anyplace.

Back then, I would have been glad to buy a Kindle.

Tip: At Amazon, Kindles are advertised now for $359, but it might pay to check out eBay. Ina Fried, my colleague here at CNET News.com, paid $329 at the auction site this week and used Microsoft's Live Search cashback offer to get an additional 20 percent off. Total cost: $264.

Update 12:45 p.m.: I've learned that there's a strong bond between Princeton and Amazon. The company's founder, Jeff Bezos, is an alumnus of the university, class of 1986. I obtained the information from co-worker and former Tiger Caroline McCarthy (2006).

[john55440]

School textbooks are the perfect application for Kindle. (I have been reading modern classics lately, and prefer "real" books.)

[Renegade Knight]

Can the kindle highlight text in multiple colors? No. Can it cross reference the questions in the back of the chapter with the answers in the chapter and not the page number of the related question near the question? Can it save that as a data file so students can share?

Can you annotate books with your own commentes, or corrections to the equation, or flaw in a theory? Can you notate what questions were in the test and may be worth another look for the final?

Hardcopy text books are hard to replace unless you are the kind who never needs them or uses them.

[aka_tripleB]

Are school offering discounts for the kindle? It would make sense for school to give $20-50 discounts to students so they wouldn't have to deal with books.

[ProKindle]

As a recent undergraduate and current graduate student, this is outstanding! I have been waiting for the digital textbook, whether downloaded to the laptop/computer or now, downloaded to a device like the Kindle, to take flight.

Students spend so much money on hard copy textbooks and reading materials, and often have to carry them all around which is not convenient or easy to do. Digital textbooks on the Kindle will make it so quick and easy for students to access any of their books or other resources whenever and wherever they need them.

I, myself, am a Kindle champion, and all in all, while $359 for this device plus the cost of the books etc. seems high, you are getting a great deal of value out of it. I can't wait for the textbooks to be offered for my courses at graduate school.

I recommend this to anyone and everyone, but especially for students considering this good news!

For more info on the Kindle, visit http://www.prokindle.com!

[eddblake]

I know loads of Kindle and DX owners are a bit annoyed that it?s still hard to find many publishers that offer proper textbooks for student owners like me. I just found this site a few weeks ago though, www.bookboon.com and these guys publish a huge range of textbooks and every single textbook is made available to download free of charge in a compatible pdf e-book format with no registration. It?s a totally 100% free textbook solution perfect for new Kindle owners like me looking for good and free academic content!

They actually just put up a new accounting series, really good used the ones on Liabilities and Equity and Balanced Scorecard this year as prep for my acca exams. There is also a facebook app with all the books on, http://apps.facebook.com/bookboon Check it out guys?