Electronic text books are compelling because you can search and copy / paste the text, as well as the bonus that it doesn't weigh as much as the paper counterpart. But we all know that historically publishers are still experimenting with the best approaches to eBooks in literature, let alone text books.
Students are leaping ahead of publishing companies. According to the New York Times, high cost of text books is a prime motivator for students exchanging electronic copies. Will publishers turn to strict DRM to stop this from harming profits?