With the right scanner... There's your catch. Not only that, but I won't destroy an expensive textbook I'd like to sell later, which is required for quick scanning (as you pointed out in your last post).
Not for all versions, and the pricing scheme is screwed up. Despite buying a mac, I don't buy new books at full price. I almost always get used (unless the class requires a special license or something along those lines). Additionally,
95% of the textbooks I've used don't have pdf versions (legit or not).
Yes with the right scanner, and there are feeder scanners ranging from $200 to $400. If you don't think that's reasonable, that's totally your call. I think it is. These textbooks cost hundreds of dollars already. Add that up over 4 years, what is that 40 textbooks? That's $10 a book? Would you pay $10 extra for a digital copy?
I have spent hours scanning books for myself and you know what I do to pass the time? The same thing I'd be doing if I wasn't scanning books, Netflix & Podcasts.
And as for selling textbooks that have been 'ruined', I've sold textbooks that I have stripped and put into binders along with pdf copies of the text. And you know what? People have thanked me and payed accordingly. Many textbooks go into second-hand limbo. Either the buyback gets you half, or consignment makes you wait forever, or you're too lazy and it just goes into donation because every year has a 'new edition'.
Half of school is photocopying/scanning research material from libraries anyways, this is hardly a new practice.
It's anyone's call how they want to go to school. I've been doing it for a decade and I think lugging heavy textbooks is a waste of time.
Sorry to jack the thread, folks.
