CourseSmart's Digital Books and eReader Apps Are College Students' 'Must-Haves' in the New Year

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Web-enabled mobile devices such as Apple's iPad or the Motorola DROID topped the holiday gift lists of many college students this year, further driving one of the biggest trends in education and technology: the rapid rise of digital textbooks.  CourseSmart, the world's largest provider of eTextbooks and digital course materials, is currently offering easy, free mobile app access to more than 90% of core college textbooks in use today at up to 60% off traditional print prices.  CourseSmart's apps provide a user experience today's digital natives seek – a replica of their textbooks, with value-added functionality, in an affordable and portable option.  

eTextbooks: Lower Prices, Cool Apps, and Easy Access

Recent studies show that more students are choosing eTextbooks, with one in 10 college students purchasing one or more digital texts according to Student Monitor* findings. CourseSmart offers students instant access to the largest cloud-based catalogue of discounted eTextbooks, as well as free apps to read and interact with their course materials. Students can access their eTextbooks from any web-enabled device, and CourseSmart's free "eTextbooks for the iPad" app (currently available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and soon to be available for Android OS devices) enables students to highlight, pinch & zoom, take notes, search across an entire stack of digital texts, and email passages to classmates.

Students can download CourseSmart's apps for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch by visiting http://www.coursesmart.com/go/mobile.

Digital Books Are a Game Changer for College Students

The "old school" options for course materials – including used and rental textbooks, with a wide range of pricing, unreliable availability, uncertainty with bookstore buyback, and potentially long wait times or associated shipping costs — are not the only options for tech- and budget-savvy students at colleges and universities across the country.  A large number of students are opting for CourseSmart's digital options, because there's:

• Instant access & always in stock – no wait time or shipping charges.
• Guaranteed, upfront savings of up to 60% off the price of new, hard copy textbooks.
• Availability of over 90% of core higher education texts used in North American colleges.
• Free iPad or iPhone app to read and interact with an entire stack of eTextbooks.
• No returns hassle or post office trips after a class is dropped or completed.

"Used textbook purchases and rentals are no competition for the growing digital reading trend now that smart and convenient mobile devices bring instant access to an entire bookshelf of eTextbooks," said Jill Ambrose, chief marketing officer, CourseSmart.  "A recent Mashable poll showed that iPads dominated holiday gifts in 2010, and we expect that digital course materials will gain in popularity amongst smart, savvy, time-conscientious students who want to do well and do more in 2011," she added.

About CourseSmart

CourseSmart provides eTextbooks and digital course materials that improve the higher education learning process by offering instructors and students a unique combination of the right course material, anywhere, any-time access and a low cost. As the world's largest digital course materials supplier, CourseSmart has a rapidly growing digital library of more than 90% of core higher education textbooks offered as eTextbooks, the same titles produced by major publishers in print and recommended by faculty across North America. The company's eTextbooks can be purchased for up to 60% less than print texts and offer users the ability to print what they need as well as search and copy and paste features which help to streamline students' studies. Additional information can be found on the company's website: www.coursesmart.com.

*Digital Course Materials Market to Reach More Than $1.93 Billion by 2013, according to "E-Textbooks in Higher Education," a 2010 research report from Simba Information.

*Student Monitor findings based on U.S. college students in the Fall 2010 edition of its twice-annual LIFESTYLE & MEDIA study.

SOURCE CourseSmart