Spring semester 2012 has started, and the first week is all about getting textbooks.

Since most of the books are expensive and sometimes the bookstore runs out of stock, students find the process stressful.

Purchasing E-books is one of the options available to students now.

“E-books came out around 2004 and it has been growing tremendously in the industry,” Lee Miller, the owner and manager of Lee’s Bookstore, said.

They are usually less costly than physical books and never sell out. They can be purchased from anywhere directly to your device.

It seems like E-books are the perfect option for students. But do students actually buy and enjoy using them?

“I don’t buy E-books because I enjoy more being able to actually touch books, write on them, and collect them,” Jacoia Phillips, a junior marketing and management major, said.

This is one of the most common views on the E-book vs. physical book question.

Are physical books going to disappear? Many people enjoy the feeling of physical books, and this is something E-books can never imitate.

“We must have the right device to purchase E-books,” Phillips said.

“Some of these E-books out there, they only work on certain operation system,” Lee said. “And many of them can display its pages for only one device that you purchased, so if your device is broken, you are out of luck.”

Even if students have the right devices to purchase E-books, some professors do not allow students to bring and use any electronic devices to class.

Since VSU has wireless Internet access at anywhere on campus, students can browse the Internet with their laptop during the class as well.

“Professors must have a better understanding for students who are bringing laptops to the class anyway,” Phillips said. “Because we will be using more technology for classes in the future.”

“Even if I have the right device and my professor allows us to use it during the class, I still choose physical books,” Shima Hata, a senior general studies major, said.

A lot of students take an opportunity to get some money from book buyback.

So being able to sell it later is one popular reason why students like to buy physical books.

Like Phillips said, we will see more new technologies coming out related to our education. Even if we are not familiar with it now, it might be better to prepare for it in the future.