Computerized based textbooks (Vitalsource)- Love or Hate?

[CCR]

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Hey, I am a on the curriculum committee at my dental school, and we are considering computer based textbooks through Vitalsource next year. If you have any thoughts, I would love to hear your opinion.

 

[geometric-pain]

Not worth it IMO. It is nice to be able to find stuff through the search function, but it cost sooo much! You pay for the initial CD and then a yearly "update" fee. Ours is 1250 a year. Since I only have used 8-10 out of the 70+ books (in two years of school), I feel like I am getting bent over. Also, I hate reading out off of a computer screen. Many (if not all) of my classmates feel the same way. I would be curious to hear the reasons why people would absolutely recommend Vitalsource. I think the sales reps do a good job of convincing administration that this is "cutting edge technology" and they somehow feel this is what will put there school over the top. I dont think that any of our professors use vitalsource either, I think they have hardcopy. they always ask us "I belive you have this on your vital source, right?" Either you know because you have it and use it as a course director, or you have never used it. I choose not to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Hope this helps (little bit rant, little bit feedback🙄)

 

[lotexigeus]

considering i've only bought one 13 dollar book in my D1 year i would say it's not worth it.

 

[Lidopaine82]

It's also a pain to reinstall the bookshelf on a new computer or one that crashed.

 

[mrlantern]

Also, I hate reading out off of a computer screen. Many (if not all) of my classmates feel the same way.

I also used vitalbook in dental school. Your feelings have been echoed by many of my classmates.

 

[dentwannabe]

Its true, reading on the computer isn't for everyone. And it is too damn expensive.

BUT THE SEARCH FUNCTION IS DAAAMN GOOD. I use the search function A LOT. I rarely read complete books on there unless some classes require reading.

 

[Frizzle]

vitalsource sucks. don't do it.

i would bet that 100 of the 108 ppl in my class would agree.

 

[carbide]

vitalsource sucks. don't do it.

i would bet that 100 of the 108 ppl in my class would agree.

Agreed. For the rare event that I actually use vital source it certainly doesn't justify the 1000 k/yr price tag. Search function is the only worthwhile feature.

 

[vaio]

i don't like it.

 

[Guy Smiley]

Our class had it for the first 2 years of class until we were able to convince administration that we did not want them.

 

[aggie-master]

I hate it. It costs much more than I would spend buying textbooks if we didn't have it... and that's not even factoring in that you could share textbooks with classmates or buy books from the class ahead of you or Ebay to save money over the list price. I hate reading inside of it and for my more difficult classes where textbook reading is necessary, I usually end up buying the real textbook in addition to the cost of Vitalsource.

The search function is great but I'd rather save several hundred a year and use Google when I need to do a quick search.

 

[dr.rex]

worst thing ever....

 

[AkaDr]

i like reading off a computer screen, but thats just me, my school has it, and been using it (LSU). Also, one good reason would be that we dont have to carry the books around, but I would agree the benefits dont out way the cost...

 

[geometric-pain]

i like reading off a computer screen, but thats just me, my school has it, and been using it (LSU). Also, one good reason would be that we dont have to carry the books around, but I would agree the benefits dont out way the cost...

True about the books, but you have to carry a computer (too many distractions with going online, playing games, when you should be reading) plus who really carries books around with them at D-school anyway?

 

[monreal]

I am one of those who like to hold a real book with thick papers, but I got used to it pretty fast. I so like it. The search button is priceless, especially when you look up in the whole library. You would be surprised to see how much info can be found in a book you didn't initially think of. Then it allows our profs to share notes and corrections in real time. It also makes it easier to make presentations, just drag or copy/paste and everything is there, including the references. But the coolest feature is No-paper-cuts-anymore.😀

 

[UCFpremed]

They made textbooks optional at my school this past year but my preference depends on how I learn the material. In undergrad, textbooks like Lehninger Biochem and Campbell Reece Biology were the holy bibles. I highlighted, wrote in the margins, and knew those chapters in and out. The problem with dental school is that there simply is not enough time to do that, go over notes, go over powerpoints, and basically live with getting enough sleep every night.

The great thing about ebooks in general is the instant search function when you want to explore an area in detail. I've heard that the Vitalsource books charge you to update and to keep the books after graduation which I don't agree with.

 

[texas_dds]

I was part of the first group of vitalsource dental students in San Antonio 2001, and while it kinda sucked in some respects as a student - I LOVE it now as practicing doctor 8 years later. The search function is killer, I dont know how many times I refer to my little dental bookshelf now.

 

[geometric-pain]

I was part of the first group of vitalsource dental students in San Antonio 2001, and while it kinda sucked in some respects as a student - I LOVE it now as practicing doctor 8 years later. The search function is killer, I dont know how many times I refer to my little dental bookshelf now.

So do you still pay a yearly fee for updates and the "privilege" to keep your ebooks?

 

[lotexigeus]

anybody got a torrent for this?

lulz j/k

 

[lotexigeus]

but seriously

 

[monreal]

So do you still pay a yearly fee for updates and the "privilege" to keep your ebooks?

The software and the books are yours. You don't pay to keep them. New editions are not free though.

 

[geometric-pain]

The software and the books are yours. You don't pay to keep them. New editions are not free though.

Thats what I thought, but I had been hearing otherwise. Regardless, I'm still not down with the amount of money I have spent (and will spend for the next two years) up to this point.

 

[phungy]

.

 

[gryffindor]

The software and the books are yours. You don't pay to keep them. New editions are not free though.

The last time I downloaded VitalCrap to my computer post-graduation (late 2007), they told me I couldn't purchase updated versions of individual books. Now I'm browsing their "bookstore" on the website and it appears I can add books to what I have from when I graduated (2004) but I'd have to pay full price for it. No thank you, I'd rather pay that price and buy the textbook for my physical bookshelf. My patients might think I'm smart if they see real books on my bookshelf. Overall, I don't think it was a good investment of the $5K or whatever I was forced to pay during my 4 years of dental school. I have used it since graduation, but I would have been fine had I just owned paper copies of the books I consulted.

 

[monreal]

The last time I downloaded VitalCrap to my computer post-graduation (late 2007), they told me I couldn't purchase updated versions of individual books. Now I'm browsing their "bookstore" on the website and it appears I can add books to what I have from when I graduated (2004) but I'd have to pay full price for it. No thank you, I'd rather pay that price and buy the textbook for my physical bookshelf. My patients might think I'm smart if they see real books on my bookshelf. Overall, I don't think it was a good investment of the $5K or whatever I was forced to pay during my 4 years of dental school. I have used it since graduation, but I would have been fine had I just owned paper copies of the books I consulted.

I am sorry if I misunderstood your post, but why is everybody expecting to have an "updated version" for free? Does your physical book offer updates?

Obviously 5k is too much. Most students won't pay 20% of that on textbooks. Anyway I don't know how much I am paying since it's a big number that includes the laptop lease, maintainance and some other stuff.

 

[gryffindor]

I am sorry if I misunderstood your post, but why is everybody expecting to have an "updated version" for free? Does your physical book offer updates?

Obviously 5k is too much. Most students won't pay 20% of that on textbooks. Anyway I don't know how much I am paying since it's a big number that includes the laptop lease, maintainance and some other stuff.

Actually, it does. I bought an ortho textbook in residency and paid $50 extra for the web-based copy. The online version updates itself periodically and will do so until the next edition comes out. I might have been willing to pay for updates for some books on VitalCrap during residency because new editions have come out since I graduated, but I would have expected to pay less than the price of buying the physical textbook.

 

[andrew1351]

Also, I hate reading out off of a computer screen. Many (if not all) of my classmates feel the same way.

Is there any way to read the vitalsource texts on an e-reader?

 

[newyorkblork]

D1 Student here.

Get in touch with your faculty and find out how many of them actually directly reference the textbook, and ask them whether or not it would be very useful for students to have textbooks.

The reason I say this is that we here at NYU are locked into a 2.5k subscription to VitalBook, non-refundable non-transferrable non-negotiable etc etc etc, and yet our professors tell us things like "Don't use the books, they're wrong", and "Textbooks are unreliable, just use the lectures", and "You shouldn't need the textbooks, just study what I tell you and you'll be fine".

So why are we paying 2500 for textbooks our own professors don't want us to use?

My guess is just so that NYU can market the fact that they're amazingly technologically up to date.

Don't get me wrong, Vitalbook seems like it could be a wonderful resource - but if your professors are actively discouraging you from using the books, then why bother?

Use the infinite dollars it would take to fund a Vitalbook subscription to set up some sort of sell-back method for the Netter's anatomy books from 2/3/4th years to 1st-years, and that's likely about all you need.