There was an article in the Wall St. Journal yesterday about how some textbook publishers have made deals with software companies to adapt their books for the electronic page. Is this the beginning of the end for printed textbooks? I don't think so and here's why.

While the popularity of e-readers like the Kindle and the Nook are growing, they are still not widespread and both have a pricetag of over $250. The iPad's basic model is $499. These are hefty pricetags for college kids and their maybe not-so-tech-savvy parents. We still don't know how much electronic versions of textbooks may cost but my guess is they won't be much less than a tradtional printed textbook due to licensing agreements.

But the biggest reason the printed textbook isn't going away anytime soon is that a hard copy textbook, that a student can mark up and highlight to aid in studying, is still preferred by students. Kaplan Publishing recently conducted a study that showed students still prefer printed textbooks and aren't embracing e-textbooks on their laptops.

Texbook companies can lower the cost of printed textbooks by printing them on cost-saving equipment like the RISO Comcolor full-color inkjet printer. They can lower the cost to students and still keep their profit margins high. It's a win-win for everyone!