It’s a little late for those of us that completed college with several pounds’ worth of textbooks in our back(breaking)packs, but Barnes & Noble is looking to lighten the load for future generations. The bookseller today unveiled NOOKstudy, an “e-textbook” platform that runs on Windows or Mac — no Nook required. Set to go live just before the Fall semester gets underway, the service touts instant textbook downloads, note-taking and annotations, and the best news for cash-strapped college students, savings of up to 40 percent compared to the dead tree alternative.
Currently, the college e-book service is being used at Pennsylvania State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Queensboro Community College, and Rochester Institute of Technology, but expect more schools to join in — if they care about their students’ health and finances, that is.
