Last Updated:10:34 AM EST 10/27/09 Section: News

Every year it seems that textbooks get bigger, thicker, and heavier. Having to drag three or four around at a time can be a workout, especially on those long days of classes. Kindles, created and sold by Amazon.com, are a rapidly growing trend which could have the potential to replace college textbooks in the near future.

Sold in three different sizes ranging from 6 inches wide to 9.7 inches, these lightweight electronic "books" offer readers a chance to hold a library in one portable place. According to Amazon, these devices can hold anywhere from 1,500 to 3,500 books at one time. Ranging from textbooks to New York Times best sellers, Kindles are becoming a popular form of media for all types of reading.

How do they work? Kindles, which sell for just under $300.00, feed off of a wireless network supported and paid for by Amazon.

Without any monthly fees, the buyer can carry the device around and utilize wherever they need. Similar to iTunes, the buyer will purchase the book they are looking for at a steep discount and it will be downloaded to the Kindle in a few seconds.

Including several features such as text enlargement, "read to me" voice narration, and a built in dictionary, Kindles are convenient for every reader. Also, Kindles offer international wireless on a 3g network, similar to cell phone networks which allow of browsing on the internet. Now, the newest version of the Kindle, released this October is also significantly thinner than its previous version and it comes with several free book sample pre-loaded.

Amazon recently donated Kindles to Princeton University in order to gain student and faculty feedback of this new technology in an academic setting. Although convenient, the overall review of the Kindle was not as positive as anticipated.

Students found that the adjustment to reading every textbook digitally was not as convenient as they thought. "Much of my learning comes from a physical interaction with the text: bookmarks, highlights, page-tearing, sticky notes and other marks representing the importance of certain passages - not to mention margin notes, where most of my paper ideas come from and interaction with the material occurs" said Aaron Horvath, a Princeton University student.

Faculty also found that although convenient to have a book electronically available for students, many professors work closely with the text and having it available only digitally would take away from such interaction. On the other hand, Amazon has been working to ensure that newer versions of the kindle are thinner and more accessible with a faster browser for student use. Also, the Kindle allows students, who normally would carry around a significant amount of textbooks each day, to hold a large volume of information in one place.

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