| Marketing executives at Amazon must have been | | | | any mention of Amazon's ebook reader - or any of its |
| rubbing their hands with glee after hearing Californian | | | | competitors for that matter. In fact he stated that it |
| Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement of | | | | would be possible for schools to benefit even without |
| his state's first-in-the nation program to replace | | | | computers or laptops as teachers could print out the |
| traditional paper textbooks with free online digital | | | | material and that would still work out considerably |
| textbooks. This is not some vision of the future, the | | | | cheaper than a conventional text book. So why is the |
| initiative is scheduled to commence in August of 2009. | | | | internet buzzing about this "good news" for Amazon? |
| Science and Math textbooks will be the first subjects | | | | Well, the latest addition to the Amazon Kindle ebook |
| to be replaced with other areas to follow. | | | | reader family, the Kindle DX, launched on June 10 - just |
| An initial list of standards aligned digital textbooks | | | | five days after Governor Schwarzenegger's |
| covering subjects such as geometry, trigonometry, | | | | announcement. It is a larger version of Amazon's |
| calculus, physics, algebra, chemistry, biology and earth | | | | recently released Kindle 2 having a 9.7" screen instead |
| science course will be released in August. A number | | | | of a 6" one. Amazon has touted it as being ideal for |
| of electronic books have already been submitted and | | | | reading newspapers, magazines and - wait for it - |
| are in the review process. Academic publishers and | | | | academic textbooks. |
| content providers have been invited to submit further | | | | Amazon has already entered into agreements with at |
| materials for review by the California Learning | | | | least three academic publishers and some higher |
| Resources network. The deadline for submission is | | | | education establishments have publicly announced that |
| June 15 to allow for review in time for the forthcoming | | | | they make the Kindle available to their students. All |
| academic year. | | | | things considered, Amazon is currently better placed to |
| The second phase of the initiative, presently in | | | | take advantage of a sudden introduction of new digital |
| development, will make the new digital textbooks | | | | technology in the academic world than most of their |
| available for all grades. Interactive content will be | | | | competitors. |
| included and a state wide web site showcasing books | | | | That's not to say that they will have things all their own |
| available will be the long term goal. | | | | way of course. Sony have partnered with Google to |
| The initiative has the potential to save Californian | | | | make Google's huge collection of public domain |
| schools millions of dollars. It's estimated that a school | | | | ebooks available to users of their PRS ebook reader, |
| district with around 10,000 high school students could | | | | a clear sign that neither Google or Sony are willing to |
| save $2 million dollars by using free downloadable | | | | relinquish the potentially huge and lucrative ebook |
| textbooks in just science and math classes. In 2008, | | | | market to Amazon without a fight. Other competitors |
| the State of California spent $350 million on textbooks | | | | also exist and it will be interesting to see how they |
| and other printed learning material. Upon the adoption | | | | respond to developments in the market in general and |
| of digital textbooks a significant portion of this money | | | | the academic sector in particular. |
| will become available for use in other areas. | | | | In the meantime, it does seem as if Governor |
| Another advantage envisaged is that, because digital | | | | Schwarzenegger's innovative plan for California's |
| textbooks are more easily updated, it will be easier for | | | | educational future is likely to boost sales of Amazon's |
| students to learn about technological advances and | | | | reader, Kindle accessories and books from Amazon's |
| current discoveries as they happen. Conventional | | | | Kindle store. No doubt other states will consider similar |
| paper textbooks tend to be updated, on average, | | | | schemes and the academic sector of the book |
| every six years - which could meant that, at the back | | | | market could hot up very quickly indeed. Of course, |
| end of the cycle, students could be missing six years | | | | the academic textbook sector is only one market |
| of information. | | | | segment - but it does appear to be leading the way. It |
| It also seems probable that alternative, interactive | | | | also offers Amazon and its competition an ideal |
| learning possibilities could be introduced once the | | | | chance to "get 'em while they're young" and establish |
| scheme is up and running. | | | | brand recognition and loyalty which could influence |
| Now, it's probably worth noting that at no point in his | | | | buying decisions in later life. |
| announcement did Governor Schwarzenegger make | | | | |