An alternative business model for the textbook industry (even with rampant piracy):
"... publishers could move to a more sustainable model in which the textbook is priced close to the cost of printing and shipping (say, $20), while all students are charged a reasonable fee (say, $60) for what really matters, which is the content of the textbook, the labs and homework exercises. Other industries already use this model -- think hardware and software, or razors and razor blades."
This won't be popular but how about; classes choose which textbooks they require, total cost per student is determined and added on to tuition, the university can now distribute copies in digital or paper format. Keeping it all electronic would lower costs all the way around and still get the authors paid.
My uni offers access to quite a few engineering books through www.books24x7.com, which is somewhat similar to what you suggest. Teachers usually suggest paper books though, so people can bring them to lectures, etc. (about half the teachers forbid using laptops in class).
This is the way I'd like to see things move. You pay tuition, the university handles the licensing and distribution. Of course it would probably raise prices or reduce availability for those outside a school.
This sounds similar to the "music tax": you'll pay whatever the publishers want to charge you, they'll give you as little value as they feel like giving you, and the middleman will enforce it. Such a business model sounds like a recipe for stagnation, not innovation.
Games are not in the same price range as textbooks are. With rare exceptions (I'm looking at you, Steel Battalion and Halo 3 Special Edition), games cost $50-$60 dollars.
In comparison, anecdotally, I have yet to have a semester at college where I wasn't "required" (I could have chosen to try and get by without the textbooks, but thats more hassle then I need) to buy 3-4 textbooks that were anywhere from $80-$150, used. Or that much in supplies for an Art class..
An alternative business model for the textbook industry is to charge 99cts per book, sell a million and you're done, fuck the publisher, save the authors.
Games is another market already disrupted by iPhone games for 99cts. $50 for a pacman clone is overkill.
Convenience at the minimum price beats piracy all the time.
"... publishers could move to a more sustainable model in which the textbook is priced close to the cost of printing and shipping (say, $20), while all students are charged a reasonable fee (say, $60) for what really matters, which is the content of the textbook, the labs and homework exercises. Other industries already use this model -- think hardware and software, or razors and razor blades."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05...