PageBurst eBook Textbooks

[abbercadaver]

I'm not sure how recent they are, but our class is being offered PageBurst ebooks from Elsevier as an alternative to our physical textbooks.

They are more than just an ebook like one would think of for the Kindle or from the iBook store. They are also interactive and allow for highlighting text and compiling it into a study guide directly from the device. Also many other things, that's just an example.

These seem like good resources, but I'm just not sure I'm sold.

Have any of you used these PageBurst products? Have any of you who have been accepted into vet school also been offered these as an alternative?

Here's a link to their page with a video in case you'd like to see for yourself how different they are from ebooks!

http://www.elsevieradvantage.com/article.jsp?pageid=10701

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[heylodeb]

I've purchased a couple of my books this way. (and some I bought as a combo of both where I got the hard book and the pageburst) I don't really read them - just use them as a thesaurus as sorts. The search function is nice.

 

[abbercadaver]

I've purchased a couple of my books this way. (and some I bought as a combo of both where I got the hard book and the pageburst) I don't really read them - just use them as a thesaurus as sorts. The search function is nice.

Aw, so they aren't as awesome as it looks like they could be? That kinda sucks.

 

[LetItSnow]

Have any of you used these PageBurst products? Have any of you who have been accepted into vet school also been offered these as an alternative?

I have a few books on my ipad (and phone) via PageBurst: an anatomy book and a radiology book. I use them frequently when I'm in the clinic that I lurk around at, and they've been really useful for that. Just used both of them today, in fact, when we were shooting a skyline view of a dog's shoulders (not a view I'm all that familiar with as a first/second-year student) and I was trying to understand which insertion was where. I can't say I use them for school, though.

A number of my classmates got Miller's (Guide to the Dissection of the Dog, or whatever it's called), put it on their iPad, wrapped their iPad in a ziplock bag, and brought that to anatomy lab with them instead of the book. The people that did it really liked it. I stuck with the book, myself, so that's secondhand info. But they all felt very clever at getting through anatomy without a book that smells like ... all the anatomy lab smells.

 

[abbercadaver]

I have a few books on my ipad (and phone) via PageBurst: an anatomy book and a radiology book. I use them frequently when I'm in the clinic that I lurk around at, and they've been really useful for that. Just used both of them today, in fact, when we were shooting a skyline view of a dog's shoulders (not a view I'm all that familiar with as a first/second-year student) and I was trying to understand which insertion was where. I can't say I use them for school, though.

A number of my classmates got Miller's (Guide to the Dissection of the Dog, or whatever it's called), put it on their iPad, wrapped their iPad in a ziplock bag, and brought that to anatomy lab with them instead of the book. The people that did it really liked it. I stuck with the book, myself, so that's secondhand info. But they all felt very clever at getting through anatomy without a book that smells like ... all the anatomy lab smells.

Thanks for this LIS! I was considering avoiding getting the anatomy lab books on PageBurst (even if I did get the rest) because I didn't want my iPad or whatever to get nasty...this is a good idea!!

Have you used them on a computer/your phone?

I wonder how necessary it is to have an actual iPad.

 

[heylodeb]

They aren't bad. I'm just not the kind of person that sits down and reads a textbook. Never have been and no way I could have the time in vet school. The search function is nice.

Also - having it on my iPad is actually NICE for anatomy. Textbooks never lose the stink - an iPad can be washed off!

 

[Camelidcrazy]

We were offered several books with something called 'Vet Consult' that sounds pretty similar. You get the hardcopy in addition to an electronic copy you can search/highlight etc.

I splurged and bought Dyce and Dissection of the Dog with the vet consult since I could rationalize it with the possibility of quick and easy anatomy reference during externships and in the real world. Who knows if I will use it- but it sounds PRETTY awesome.

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks for this LIS! I was considering avoiding getting the anatomy lab books on PageBurst (even if I did get the rest) because I didn't want my iPad or whatever to get nasty...this is a good idea!!

Have you used them on a computer/your phone?

I wonder how necessary it is to have an actual iPad.

For me the benefit is in the portability. I have them on my computer (I think the licensing allows for 4 devices, so I have my desktop, laptop, ipad, iphone), but 95% of my use is on my ipad. If I'm at my computer, I usually have the book handy anyway.

 

[heylodeb]

We were offered several books with something called 'Vet Consult' that sounds pretty similar. You get the hardcopy in addition to an electronic copy you can search/highlight etc.

I splurged and bought Dyce and Dissection of the Dog with the vet consult since I could rationalize it with the possibility of quick and easy anatomy reference during externships and in the real world. Who knows if I will use it- but it sounds PRETTY awesome.

exact same thing.

 

[Camelidcrazy]

Sweet! I had no idea they were called PageBurst. Sounds so much more action packed!

 

[heylodeb]

Yeah - Pageburst is just one of the programs that will open vetconsult textbooks. "Vitalsource" is another one.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I second the usefulness of the search functions. And I also liked that the pictures are just jpegs so you can print out unlabeled pictures (Dyce especially if i can recall) and annotate the way you want to without drawing it yourself.

 

[abbercadaver]

If I'm at my computer, I usually have the book handy anyway.

So you bought both books? Or your hard copy came with access to the pageburst stuff? I'm seeing references to buying one product with both hardcopy and ebook copy...but not finding any for sale now. So I'd pretty much have to get one or the other...$250-300/book isn't really doable.

Would you say they'd be worth it as a standalone?

 

[nyanko]

So you bought both books? Or your hard copy came with access to the pageburst stuff? I'm seeing references to buying one product with both hardcopy and ebook copy...but not finding any for sale now. So I'd pretty much have to get one or the other...$250-300/book isn't really doable.

Would you say they'd be worth it as a standalone?

I bought the hardcopy + ebook combos for Miller's and the path book we use, and then I sold the hard copies and only use the ebooks, so personally yes I'd say they would be worth it!

 

[abbercadaver]

I bought the hardcopy + ebook combos for Miller's and the path book we use, and then I sold the hard copies and only use the ebooks, so personally yes I'd say they would be worth it!

Nyan, what platform do you use? Just a PC/Mac or iPad/iPhone as well?

 

[nyanko]

Nyan, what platform do you use? Just a PC/Mac or iPad/iPhone as well?

I have them both on my Macbook Pro and on my iPad (I have an Android phone ). I use the iPad versions more frequently but have used the MBP ones too when I want to ref something quickly and am on my laptop.

 

[LetItSnow]

So you bought both books? Or your hard copy came with access to the pageburst stuff? I'm seeing references to buying one product with both hardcopy and ebook copy...but not finding any for sale now. So I'd pretty much have to get one or the other...$250-300/book isn't really doable.

Would you say they'd be worth it as a standalone?

I bought both books. Every vet should have a decent anatomy book, and radiology is a particular interest of mine, so I bought that book (ahem - along with a shelf full of others).

Anyway, I bought them as a bundled hard copy + pageburst. They weren't as expensive as $250-$300, though!!!!! I can't remember the cost, but it was the hard copy cost plus ... maybe $20?

 

[abbercadaver]

Anyway, I bought them as a bundled hard copy + pageburst. They weren't as expensive as $250-$300, though!!!!! I can't remember the cost, but it was the hard copy cost plus ... maybe $20?

See, I'm just having a hard time finding them bundled. It's (depending on new/used and where you buy it, of course) we'll say $130ish, average, for the hard copy and then separately, you can get the pageburst for like, $100ish.

I exaggerated a little originally, maybe....but still. You get the point.

 

[LetItSnow]

See, I'm just having a hard time finding them bundled. It's (depending on new/used and where you buy it, of course) we'll say $130ish, average, for the hard copy and then separately, you can get the pageburst for like, $100ish.

I exaggerated a little originally, maybe....but still. You get the point.

Exaggeration or not, it would suck to have to pay basically full price for both!!!! I wonder if they stopped bundling them as much?

Honestly, I haven't even looked at textbooks for next year yet, so I dunno what's up. I'm sorta in denial about school starting up again.

 

[abbercadaver]

Oh, one more question for those of you who use these ebooks on your iPad: Do you have the 3G support or just the wireless internet support iPad?

I know the website says it requires internet access, but are you ever really somewhere that doesn't have internet access when you're studying (and then have to use the cellular network)?

 

[abbercadaver]

Exaggeration or not, it would suck to have to pay basically full price for both!!!! I wonder if they stopped bundling them as much?

Honestly, I haven't even looked at textbooks for next year yet, so I dunno what's up. I'm sorta in denial about school starting up again.

Enjoying your summer, then, I presume?

My husband says, "They wised up. Realized they were losing money by bundling." I think that's a pretty good guess, personally.

 

[LetItSnow]

Oh, one more question for those of you who use these ebooks on your iPad: Do you have the 3G support or just the wireless internet support iPad?

I know the website says it requires internet access, but are you ever really somewhere that doesn't have internet access when you're studying (and then have to use the cellular network)?

Hm. You should contact them and ask for more info. The book is downloaded onto your device, so it's not clear to me if that's why they say you need internet access, or if they also do some sort of licensing check via the internet every time you try to access.

I'm pretty sure it's the former, so it wouldn't matter if you had 3G or just WiFi. I can test it for you later (I'll just kill WiFi and 3G on my ipad and see if I can still read the books.).

 

[abbercadaver]

Hm. You should contact them and ask for more info. The book is downloaded onto your device, so it's not clear to me if that's why they say you need internet access, or if they also do some sort of licensing check via the internet every time you try to access.

I'm pretty sure it's the former, so it wouldn't matter if you had 3G or just WiFi. I can test it for you later (I'll just kill WiFi and 3G on my ipad and see if I can still read the books.).

Thanks! And I definitely will.

 

[nyanko]

I read my ebooks on my iPad on the bus with no wifi and I only have a wifi iPad, so yeah.

 

[SnowyRox]

Did you guys not have your undergrad science texts come with a computer version? Pretty much all of mine came with the hard copy and the computer copy.

Loved the e-book format when I wanted to search for something, but found it really hard to skim (hate flipping computer pages quickly). Definitely not the format I would buy to read a textbook cover-cover, but I'm not planning on doing that anyway...

 

[abbercadaver]

Did you guys not have your undergrad science texts come with a computer version? Pretty much all of mine came with the hard copy and the computer copy.

Loved the e-book format when I wanted to search for something, but found it really hard to skim (hate flipping computer pages quickly). Definitely not the format I would buy to read a textbook cover-cover, but I'm not planning on doing that anyway...

These books are not just the text. They have interactive features, pictures, quizzes, etc. Yes, several of my college texts came with "ebook/pdf" versions, but these PageBurst books are (as far as I can tell) not in the same ballpark as those.

 

[abbercadaver]

Thanks for your input, guys. I decided to go with the ebooks, as my family bought me an iPad for my acceptance to vet school/birthdays/holidays for the next forever.

It sounds like many of you had very good luck with these ebooks, now I just wish more of our books came in this format! I'll still have to have physical books for certain classes, but I'd definitely rather have 1/2 the books to carry around if I can help it.

Thanks again, you guys were a HUGE influence on my decision.

 

[LetItSnow]

Thanks for your input, guys. I decided to go with the ebooks, as my family bought me an iPad for my acceptance to vet school/birthdays/holidays for the next forever.

It sounds like many of you had very good luck with these ebooks, now I just wish more of our books came in this format! I'll still have to have physical books for certain classes, but I'd definitely rather have 1/2 the books to carry around if I can help it.

Thanks again, you guys were a HUGE influence on my decision.

I think that if you're at all curious, it's a good decision to do it right at the beginning and find out whether you like it (so that you can utilize it for subsequent years). And if you don't ... you're out some bucks, but you know better to save the money later. *shrug*

I wouldn't worry about carrying books, though. I can't remember the last time I actually brought a book to school from home (other than first-semester anatomy and the dissection book).