We don't use hard copy textbooks. All of our books are loaded onto a mandatory computer you buy through the school (either mac or pc). Most profs still distribute hard copy manuals which they have written, and they also upload pdfs of the manual on blackboard. Pretty much all tests and quiz questions come from their respective manuals. We mostly use the books on Vital Source as supplementary reading.
Obviously the pros and cons of this depend on each person. I like only having to carry a laptop around. I don't like having to stare at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day. There are also some hefty tech fees (~2k a year) that are NOT part of tuition, and thus must be paid for almost immediately after we get our loan refund check for living expenses.
As far as school and studying goes, I was a paper and pen guy my whole life. It took me ~3 months to go completely paperless.
PM me if you have more questions.
