McGraw-Hill is also experimenting with distribution models that would allow students to rent the e-book for the duration of a class, and perhaps lend it to a friend using technology that limits access to one user at a time—a technology already used by some libraries.
The E-reader Upsurge
The growth of e-books is mirrored by the proliferation of e-reading devices. The two most well-known are Sony’s Reader and Amazon’s Kindle (which was the first to find truly mainstream legitimacy when Oprah Winfrey embraced it as a “life-changing” gadget). The two devices have battled for market share since. Late this summer, Sony released three e-readers that challenge Kindle’s utility and price point—touchscreen devices starting at $199, with an Internet-connected Daily Edition at $399.