3 ms·

It looks cool but it's massive and with two screens that size and the batteries that would be required to support them, I can imagine that it is very heavy. Wh

It looks cool but it's massive and with two screens that size and the batteries that would be required to support them, I can imagine that it is very heavy. Which is definitely one of the biggest problems with paper textbooks, something we should try and get away from with etextbooks.

bockris 16y ago
5.5 lbs! (from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2012011657_d8_kno_tablet_for_students_unv.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleys... ) and at the price point mentioned in article, I feel it is a non-starter.
- stcredzero 16y ago
  What if someone published a textbook through the Kindle store? This would be available through the iPad, which either has or will grow into a lot of the same features.
  - gte910h 16y ago
    It doesn't really feel like the kindle has the level of formatting required to really do a textbook.
  - benofsky 16y ago
    Note taking where you can just scribble on the page is critical. Problem with the iPad is the lack of a stylus (you can't really write with your finger or type in the way people take notes...)
    - stcredzero 16y ago
      Funny, but I use a stylus with it.
OmarIsmail 16y ago
It'd probably weigh about the same amount as a first year Calc textbook. This is actually one area where the standard for improvement isn't very high. Textbooks weigh A LOT, and I think it's getting to the point where people's posture and backs are being negatively affected. Let alone the day you need to move... Compared to something like an iPad, this Kno is going to be a hell of a lot heavier, so it's just a matter of what the students are comparing against. This is all moot though as the major pain point with textbooks are their obscene pricing. If this is just the same old overpriced textbooks, just in digital form, it's interesting but hardly a game changer.
- thefool 16y ago
  Yeah, but its also really nice to have a decent sized screen when actually trying to read and think. I'm sure that it will make books cheaper, as it will remove much of the distribution overhead, but the fact remains that writing a text book is extremely time consuming, and the market is small, so the only way for authors to get any sort of reasonable compensation is to make the books cost a lot.
- enjo 16y ago
  The sticking point with text books IS the printing. My wife (PhD and professor) would love to move to digital text books. In the digital realm there are actually entire text books that aren't widely available in print. They are also MUCH cheaper for the students. http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ is one example. There are others I can't remember right now. This device seems to knock down a LOT of barriers. The two screens allow for the space needed to show all of the content a professor might Believe it or not, THE biggest thing slowing adoption of electronic text books is the ability to take notes want to expose at once. The students can take notes on the pages (this is a huge deal for adoption believe it or not). It enables open and cheaper options... I like it a lot. I think they have a winner if they've executed well.

bockris 16y ago

5.5 lbs! (from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2012011657_d8_kno_tablet_for_students_unv.html http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleys... ) and at the price point mentioned in article, I feel it is a non-starter.

stcredzero 16y ago
What if someone published a textbook through the Kindle store? This would be available through the iPad, which either has or will grow into a lot of the same features.
- gte910h 16y ago
  It doesn't really feel like the kindle has the level of formatting required to really do a textbook.
- benofsky 16y ago
  Note taking where you can just scribble on the page is critical. Problem with the iPad is the lack of a stylus (you can't really write with your finger or type in the way people take notes...)
  - stcredzero 16y ago
    Funny, but I use a stylus with it.

OmarIsmail 16y ago

It'd probably weigh about the same amount as a first year Calc textbook. This is actually one area where the standard for improvement isn't very high. Textbooks weigh A LOT, and I think it's getting to the point where people's posture and backs are being negatively affected. Let alone the day you need to move... Compared to something like an iPad, this Kno is going to be a hell of a lot heavier, so it's just a matter of what the students are comparing against. This is all moot though as the major pain point with textbooks are their obscene pricing. If this is just the same old overpriced textbooks, just in digital form, it's interesting but hardly a game changer.

thefool 16y ago
Yeah, but its also really nice to have a decent sized screen when actually trying to read and think. I'm sure that it will make books cheaper, as it will remove much of the distribution overhead, but the fact remains that writing a text book is extremely time consuming, and the market is small, so the only way for authors to get any sort of reasonable compensation is to make the books cost a lot.
enjo 16y ago
The sticking point with text books IS the printing. My wife (PhD and professor) would love to move to digital text books. In the digital realm there are actually entire text books that aren't widely available in print. They are also MUCH cheaper for the students. http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/ is one example. There are others I can't remember right now. This device seems to knock down a LOT of barriers. The two screens allow for the space needed to show all of the content a professor might Believe it or not, THE biggest thing slowing adoption of electronic text books is the ability to take notes want to expose at once. The students can take notes on the pages (this is a huge deal for adoption believe it or not). It enables open and cheaper options... I like it a lot. I think they have a winner if they've executed well.