<p>I disagree with those that doubt that free textbooks will ever gain enough traction to become the norm. Technology and consumer pressure will force major changes in this industry just as it has in other industries in which the middlemen are sucking up too much profit–publishing, the music industry, many forms of retail. It will take some time yet, but as the internet fuels greater competition in the real services they provide (editing, peer review, marketing) they’ll have to accept major downsizing to survive. And if these services become cheap enough, there will be philanthropists and perhaps players with a stake in the outcome (universities) that may provide funding to offer books for free.</p>
<p>This is somewhat related to the movement toward open-source academic publishing which is gaining significant steam. The article below lays out the arguments on both sides of the debate but there is no question that times-are-a-changing in the academic research world:</p>
<p>[Is</a> the Academic Publishing Industry on the Verge of Disruption? - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/07/23/is-the-academic-publishing-industry-on-the-verge-of-disruption]Is”>http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/07/23/is-the-academic-publishing-industry-on-the-verge-of-disruption)</p>
<p>Princeton recently adopted a policy to make open-source publishing of research the default for all work coming out of the university. I imagine some other schools will or have already done the same.</p>