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Planes, Trains, and eBooks [IRC conversations]

I had an interesting conversation last night regarding textbooks and their adoption in e-readers, which moved to the topic of transportation in America today, something Obama recently took action upon. Here are the logs of the IRC chat.

<Condoulo> http://www.macrumors.com/2010/02/02/textbook-publishers-strike-deals-to-bring-content-to-ipad/?utm_source=Mac+OS+X&utm_medium=pingfm&utm_term=Mac
<Adduc> It'll be interesting to see how schools adopt to this. With the Kindle's status, some had moved.
<Adduc> My school, DeVry, publishes their own custom edition of books only available through proprietary software. Other schools do as well, and they'll be hesitant to allow the books on an untested DRM platform.
<Dallin> I think the move to eReaders and tablet computers is inevitable. Eventually, it will likely be the norm as far as portable computers go.
<Condoulo> Adduc, I dunno - but, I hope that textbooks in the iPad end up a lot cheaper than they do physically.
<Condoulo> Dallin, I think I'll be slow to adopt e-readers for novels and stuf like that - but for text-books, bring them on 
<Condoulo> haha
<Adduc> Condoulo: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/technology/companies/01amazonweb.html
<Adduc> If the textbook-publishers have the same mindset, I wouldn't think so.
<Condoulo> blech. =/
<Condoulo> the only purpose of freaking ebooks I see is to take away the cost of having a physical copy.
<Adduc> I would agree, but it's a market of supply and demand. Demand doesn't change much between the price point books are at now and a lower price.
<Dallin> indeed
<Adduc> Textbooks are desired no matter what.
<Condoulo> Adduc, I'd like to see how Apple works out with Textbook companies.
<Condoulo> Because Apple knows if they want the iPad to sell to the Educational Market, they have to make the savings worth-while.
<Adduc> True, but I feel the publishers realize the monopoly they have on their textbooks, and with the deals they have in place with schools they feel they don't have to cave in to demands.
<Adduc> Remember that labels were initially hesitant to meet the $.99 price point in iTunes for a long time, and only started doing so when piracy rates were rising.
<Condoulo> true
<Dallin> Perhaps we'll start seeing more "pirated eBooks" as a result of this, which could drive prices down
<Condoulo> Dallin, true. Especially in this economy.
<Condoulo> Dallin, but by the time that happens I'll probably be halfway done with college.
<Adduc> Same here.
<Dallin> lol
<Dallin> well, at least you'll hopefully be able to benefit from it, whereas when I was going to college cell phones were only just beginning to go mainstream, lol
<Condoulo> Dallin, true, true
<Dallin> Seriously though, the iPad is like something straight out of Star Trek. It's quite exciting to see "fictional" technology like that become reality.
<Condoulo> Dallin, thats pretty much what this past decades been about
<Dallin> Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to have flying cars by 2015 like in Back to the Future II, lol
<Condoulo> Dallin, I'd rather not anyway
<Condoulo> Dallin, I mean, you'd have to worryt about horrible weather for one. And secondly, if drunk drivers are bad on the ground, imagine them in the sky.
<Dallin> ROFL
<Condoulo> Flying cars are a fun fantasy to think about as a kid - but when you realize how idiotic people act in certain conditions, its like "No." 
<Adduc> Imagine running out of gas in the sky.
<Adduc> Or engine troubles.
<Adduc> We're not trained pilots.
<Condoulo> yeah
<Dallin> I don't think we'll have fusion powered cars by then either, lol
<Condoulo> In all honesty, if we get any kind of "Flying" car, I'd rather have it just a few feet off the ground, and thats about it.
<Adduc> Hover cars would be cool. Smoothest ride ever.
<Condoulo> definitely.
<Dallin> I'm all for promoting the development of a transporter. Who needs vehicular transportation? lol
<Condoulo> Dallin, the takes out the fun.
<Condoulo> Dallin, I personally would love to see the Rail system in our nation revamped.
<Dallin> think about it, if you go out to dinner you could go to Hong Kong for some authentic Chinese food, then go to New York to catch a Broadway show, then be home before bed time.
<Condoulo> Maybe something like the Maglev system that Japan has. That would be sweet.
<Adduc> Interesting you say this, Condoulo. There's serious talks right now about doing so.
<Dallin> high speed rail might be practical in densley populated areas, but in most other places it doesn't make much sense
<Condoulo> Dallin, well, I mean. I would love to take a train from Louisville to lets say Chicago instead of having to fly.
<Dallin> But how long would that take as opposed to flying?
<Condoulo> Dallin, or, take a High Speed Rail from Louisville to Louisville St. Paul
<Condoulo> Dallin, how about opposed to driving?
<Dallin> And would it be cheaper than flying?
<Condoulo> I mean, I don't mind flying - but, at the same time, I don't like being <censored> just by going through security either.
<Adduc> It'd be cheaper; it already is.
<Condoulo> Dallin, I would hope so.
<Adduc> As far as travel times, it'd obviously be longer, but there'd be no three-hours to check in.
<Dallin> I don't think it's a huge priority for most people, honestly
<Condoulo> Maybe it wouldn't be as fast as flying - but you save time by not going through crazy security checks.
<Adduc> http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1957575,00.html?xid=rss-topstories
<Adduc> Turns out Obama was talking about creating high-speed rail systems during his State of the Union address.
<Dallin> Oh I'm sure they'd have security checks on the trains, as well. Probably not to the extent as at the airports.
<Condoulo> Dallin, oh sure, there would be security, but it wouldn't take as long, or wouldn't cost as much money as it would for the airports.
<Dallin> Yeah Adduc. It'll cost $8 billion just to do a study on it.
<Condoulo> "According to Environment America, high-speed rail uses a third less energy per mile than auto or air travel, and a nationwide system could reduce oil use by 125 million bbl. a year.
<Condoulo> I think if we had a much better rail system in this country, it would probably end up saving a lot of money on business travel (That doesn't require the speed of a plane).