3. Portability
Portability is the one area where the e-readers and tablets really shine. Studies show that carrying a heavy backpack can cause serious damage to the spine, but textbooks still continue to rise in size.
Then there's the issue of bulk. You can easily load a whole semester's worth of textbooks onto an e-reader — but try doing that with a backpack.
E-readers like the Kindle can hold up to 3,500 books yet weigh less than a single paperback book. Tablets weigh approximately one and a half pounds, but "Calculus: Early Transcendentals" weighs more than five. Unless you're taking weight training as your P.E. requirement, you're better off lightening the load.