[SpaceBar]

Textbooks and study materials should be distributed in pdf format on flash drive memory sticks that can be read in the school library or study areas, and let them negotiate a fair price to content publishers. Liberals (and fake conservatives) constantly whine about the environment but nary a word about all the paper pulp, ink, shipping costs, and ultimately the space in sanitary landfills to accommodate dead tree books at the end of their useful life. But notice this is just about money. It's always about money.

[dan1123]

Textbooks and study materials should be distributed in pdf format

The problem here is if it is really a digital medium, then pdf is problematic for lower resolution screens. It won't re-flow, and you can zoom, but what some people really need is a font-size change that doesn't require horizontal scrolling to read each line.

I think the only real solution is modern HTML+CSS to allow the text to be flexible enough.

As to the money issue, states should simply commission textbooks in the work for hire style and make them available in digital format instead of relying on publishers. This effectively makes the state a digital publisher with all reproduction rights.

[NEMDF]

But the next thing you know, we’ll all be buying computers for use at home for everyone who is below $80,000 annual income or so.