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$200 Textbook vs. Free. You Do the Math
The New York Times ^ | July 31, 2010 | Ashlee Vance

Posted on 08/01/2010 2:48:35 PM PDT by proxy_user

INFURIATING Scott G. McNealy has never been easier. Just bring up math textbooks.

Mr. McNealy, the fiery co-founder and former chief executive of Sun Microsystems, shuns basic math textbooks as bloated monstrosities: their price keeps rising while the core information inside of them stays the same.

“Ten plus 10 has been 20 for a long time,” Mr. McNealy says.

Early this year, Oracle, the database software maker, acquired Sun for $7.4 billion, leaving Mr. McNealy without a job. He has since decided to aim his energy and some money at Curriki, an online hub for free textbooks and other course material that he spearheaded six years ago.

“We are spending $8 billion to $15 billion per year on textbooks” in the United States, Mr. McNealy says. “It seems to me we could put that all online for free.”

The nonprofit Curriki fits into an ever-expanding list of organizations that seek to bring the blunt force of Internet economics to bear on the education market. Even the traditional textbook publishers agree that the days of tweaking a few pages in a book just to sell a new edition are coming to an end.

“Today, we are engaged in a very different dialogue with our customers,” says Wendy Colby, a senior vice president of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “Our customers are asking us to look at different ways to experiment and to look at different value-based pricing models.”

Mr. McNealy had his own encounter with value-based pricing models while running Sun. The company had thrived as a result of its specialized, pricey technology. And then, in what seemed liked a flash, Sun’s business came undone as a wave of cheaper computers and free, open-source software proved good enough to handle many tasks once done by Sun computers.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet; Education
KEYWORDS: ebook; emath; homeschool; math; opensource; sun; virtualeducation; virtualk12
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Trying again. Any interest, homeschoolers?
1 posted on 08/01/2010 2:48:37 PM PDT by proxy_user
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To: proxy_user

Yep. I’m checking it out; thanks!


2 posted on 08/01/2010 2:50:36 PM PDT by fightinJAG (Obama: "I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today.")
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To: proxy_user

P.S. I have been using a free math worksheet generator for a long time. It allows us to put in several variables, then we run off as many sheets as we want. Usually make a book of “math drill” worksheets for each child. As this guy said, 10 + 10 = 20 for a long time.

Also, when you do need a “textbook,” shun the official ones. They are way overpriced and are simply part of the professor’s retirement augmentation plan. Look for comprehensive study guides. There are many wonderful ones out there and they are only as much as a regular book. No textbook surcharges and they cover the same info, often better and with less filler.


3 posted on 08/01/2010 2:53:28 PM PDT by fightinJAG (Obama: "I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today.")
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To: proxy_user
Most of the textbooks I had to buy in college were written by the professors friends and colleagues. Its not about availability of cheap alternatives, its about corruption. Making textbooks available online won't change this.

As far high school books go, I'm sure there must be some payouts involved as well. Its the only thing that explains some of the insane prices that are involved.
4 posted on 08/01/2010 2:57:58 PM PDT by StolarStorm
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To: proxy_user

Thanks~! There is so much waste in the schools. My old school system got a brand new reading series 2 years after spending much money for the first one. The series you discard goes straight to the dump. I asked why doesn’t the system sell the old one at discount to another school or to homeschooling groups. They didn’t want to fool with tax law of a non-profit or some such silly issue. It is so frustrating as a parent and as an employee.


5 posted on 08/01/2010 3:07:28 PM PDT by EmilyGeiger (Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,")
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To: proxy_user
“We are spending $8 billion to $15 billion per year on textbooks” in the United States, Mr. McNealy says. “It seems to me we could put that all online for free.”

What, using the same delivery medium as Breitbart and Drudge?

Too dangerous. Students might learn to read and think for themselves.


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

6 posted on 08/01/2010 3:11:35 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
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To: proxy_user

homeschool


7 posted on 08/01/2010 3:14:02 PM PDT by Chickensoup (I am absolutely done. I am a conservative libertarian.)
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To: proxy_user

My old high school participated a pilot program to provide students with some type of electronic pads that contain all of the students books on one device. I’m not sure of cost savings but it will save a shouder or two from the 50 lb backpack.


8 posted on 08/01/2010 3:18:34 PM PDT by goseminoles
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To: proxy_user

Good for McNealy. This is overdue.


9 posted on 08/01/2010 3:25:57 PM PDT by decimon
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To: StolarStorm

I had an econ prof at a JC that did that. His book was so unclear and poorly written that he didn’t even give us a final exam.


10 posted on 08/01/2010 3:26:22 PM PDT by hoppity
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To: hoppity
His book was so unclear and poorly written that he didn’t even give us a final exam.

Sounds like a description of my typical FR posts.

11 posted on 08/01/2010 3:27:57 PM PDT by The Theophilus
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To: proxy_user

My Daughter hasn’t had a math textbook since she left private school at the end of 8th grade.

Washington State Public HS.


12 posted on 08/01/2010 3:33:25 PM PDT by moehoward
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To: fightinJAG
" simply part of the professor’s retirement augmentation plan. "

Do professors of math really write textbooks on basic math?

13 posted on 08/01/2010 3:38:35 PM PDT by TopQuark
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To: proxy_user

Interesting. McNealy is a decent dude. Sun is simply awesome as far as hardware goes. This article is bullshit with that last line about cheaper hardware and open-source software though. There is little that can compare to a high end Sun server.


14 posted on 08/01/2010 3:48:18 PM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: StolarStorm
As far high school books go, I'm sure there must be some payouts involved as well. Its the only thing that explains some of the insane prices that are involved.

And the "Payola" scandals in the radio industry years ago resulted in laws against this practice.

But perish forbid the same standard should be applied to that bastion of Liberal thought and training...Academia.

15 posted on 08/01/2010 3:54:52 PM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (A fearless person cannot be controlled.)
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To: metmom

ping


16 posted on 08/01/2010 4:13:17 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (Perseverance. In a confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

We could greatly reduce the cost of education by putting the best lecture series on DVD and thereby eliminating most of the socialist professors.


17 posted on 08/01/2010 4:18:25 PM PDT by aimhigh
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To: TopQuark
Yes, they do.

That said, you are right that my point goes primarily to college and graduate textbooks, where changing a few lines here and there qualifies for a "new edition" that makes all the other almost identical previous editions "obsolete." And I have no problem with professors or anyone else making money off their knowledge.

But I also have no problem with calling B.S. when there is a much cheaper path to the same knowledge.

18 posted on 08/01/2010 4:19:41 PM PDT by fightinJAG (Obama: "I will gladly pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today.")
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To: fightinJAG
"Yes, they do."

It was quite clear, I hope, that the point was not whether there exist a professor that wrote such a textbook, but whether that is a phenomenon pronounced enough that you refer to authors as professors..

19 posted on 08/01/2010 4:29:16 PM PDT by TopQuark
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To: proxy_user
Any interest, homeschoolers?

Exactly why I am here!! Thanks!

20 posted on 08/01/2010 4:35:55 PM PDT by teenyelliott (www.thewaterrock.com)
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