I downloaded two textbooks for this semester from Zinio, and I must say it has been worth it so far.
The main advantage is convenience. I already carry my laptop around all day at school and use it for everything, so having those texts in there and ready to read suits me well. It's way better than carrying around multiple heavy textbooks. Thus, I don't need to lug around a bookbag anymore -- a big plus. My back thanks me.
The reader software is nothing spectacular, but it's easy to get used to. It has a table of contents, lets you flip around pages (like a real book), print, highlight, make notes, and full-text search.
The price of a Zinio digital textbook is considerably less than a new physical textbook. You cannot, however, sell it back once you're done with it. Also, it doesn't seem like you can transfer the book files to a different computer or make backups either, because they are tied to the computer you download them to. But I am willing to live with that -- it's worth it for the convenience.
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