New e-reader launched designed specifically for students

We've blogged before that several polls of college students  show that they continue to prefer conventional textbooks over e-texts despite their penchant for digital media in all other realms.  There's a very lucrative market available to any e-reader manufacturer that can come up with a device that meets the needs of students and many are trying.  The development of electronic ink which better replicates the experience of reading a printed page along with the ability to highlight and annotate are all features that students say they want.  Polls also show that students will only consider e-readers that allow them to print hardcopy when they need it.

Now this company, Akademos, has entered the market with an e-reading device it hopes will satisfy all the needs of the college and post-grad market.  Another advantage is that it designed to work with open source materials too.

From the company's press release:

Akademos, Inc., a leading provider of integrated online bookstores and marketplaces to educational institutions, announced today that it has launched a digital reader that will allow its member institutions to access electronic content from traditional publishers and from open resources, such as the Connexions Consortium, World Public Library, the Guttenberg Project, and many others.

. . . .

The Akademos eReader, which is compatible with the emerging standard ePub format, allows students to create notes, highlight, annotate, and collaborate with fellow students. And those students who would also like a print copy of the text can easily order one directly through the eReader itself.

Time will tell, as they say.

Hat tip to Inside Higher Ed.

(jbl).