<p>For those of you taking CGS2100 in the Fall, have you purchased the course materials yet?</p>
<p>I'm a little confused as to why the textbook is optional, yet the eBook is required. Also, it seems as though the eBook is only available through the publisher's website (Cengage), while the textbook is more widely found around the Internet.</p>
<p>I personally would rather get the textbook...</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>The materials for this course are new compared to previous terms. In terms past, including this current summer term, CGS 2060 and 2100 used the same syllabus, the same book and CD, the same online access to quizzes and all. THIS FALL everything is different. This is one time where I would WAIT until the first day of class and see what is up. This class is very flexible, and other than a syllabus quiz, little work is due the first week. You will have time to get the book via amazon or half.com etc. Students on campus will not have used books from recent terms as 2100 had been using the same 2060 book. So wait till the first day.</p>
<p>I called the computer science department and was told that the reason the ebook ($52-$57) is required is because it is cheaper than the book (paperback, $102 from the bookstore). I got the impression that it doesn’t matter which format you get, it is your choice. I like having a physical book, so I bought a new book for less than $68.00 including the shipping charge, from a vendor through Amazon.com. The vendor is in Puerto Rico, but it had good reviews and the book arrived in less than a week. Try searching the 10 digit ISBN instead the the 13 digit one.</p>
<p>Nolette is the book you bought from Amazon exactly the same? is there a corresponding on-line cd or access codes needed for the course or is just the book needed?</p>
<p>wtztu, it has the same 10 digit ISBN as well as the same 13 digit ISBN printed on the book. There is no CD mentioned. I didn’t notice if it had an access code, but it seemed to me that purchasing the book would allow you to access a web site if needed. It looks exactly the same to me. I just checked Amazon and the same vendor is still selling the book for $63.95 + $3.99 for shipping. And although Amazon said it would arrive within 3 weeks, it came in 4 or 5 days! They sent it via UPS with a tracking number. Usually books are sent through USPS media mail with no way to track the shipment. The only thing I don’t like about this book is that it isn’t printed in hardcover, and I think it’s going to get trashed by the end of the semester.</p>
<p>Thanks Sunny and Nolette :). </p>
<p>Sunny, I too noticed that even Summer 2010 used the older book when I saw the syllabus online. On the Summer syllabus it scared me a little how the professor mentioned that you must have the book during the first week of classes, but since it is a whole different book maybe it isn’t required right away.</p>
<p>Nolette, funny you mention the vendor from Puerto Rico on Amazon because I saw him too this morning and I have the book in my shopping cart :). Thats why I thought it was weird that you could get the textbook for plus or minus ten dollars more instead of the “required” eBook. I feel bad for anyone who actually gets the textbook from the bookstore!</p>
<p>Also wtztu, I think the book on Amazon is the same one they sell at the bookstore because both have the exact same cover.</p>
<p>201OVE, you should buy it soon if you decide to go that way. In the past, I have lost items I put in my cart, not realizing that someone else would buy them before I made up my mind. I have also had prices go up while I was deciding whether or not I really wanted them. I hate to see that notice from Amazon that the price has changed since I put the item in my cart. Unfortunately, I have never had the price go down :(.</p>
<p>It’s funny how prices always go up but never seem to go down, eh?! That’s a bummer :/. </p>
<p>But thank you, I emailed the cgs2100 email JUST to double check before I do anything. Hopefully tomorrow I can order it!</p>
<p>201OVE, the summer course is 6 weeks, the fall course is 15 weeks. In the summer it moves fast and you need the book or you could loose time. In the fall, you will not do much the first week. Really. Ever week in the summer is like 2 1/2 in the fall. There is a big difference between summer and fall. You will be fine waiting until the first day on this one.</p>
<p>Sunny, thanks, I didn’t even think about the difference in length between summer and fall courses.</p>
<p>201OVE–Did you get a reply from your email? </p>
<p>Nolette when you spoke to them you say you got the impression having the textbook instead of the ebook would be ok? but they didn’t come right out and say it?
my son, too, prefers a book in hand, so I’d like to order it from Amazon, but are we absolutely sure the ebook isn’t required for some other reason?</p>
<p>Nope…no response yet :/.</p>
<p>I spoke to a woman in the Computer Science Dept. who told me that they have to say some format is required and the reason they said the ebook is required is beause is costs less than the actual book and they don’t want anyone to have to buy the book when it is almost twice as much as the ebook. I can’t remember exactly what she said but the impression she left me with made me buy the book for just a few dollars more than the ebook.
I don’t like emailing because I want an answer right away and don’t like to wait. I think the course detail information about the ebook/book is very confusing and I would call to ask and hear their answer for yourself. If you get a different answer or impression than I did, please post it here.</p>
<p>now that the syllabus is up it says that either the book OR the ebook is required. I also bought the text from the Amazon vendor and it got here super fast. It’s interesting–I just read an article that said students preferred written texts to ebooks–seems ebooks are more distracting because on the computer one can do other things (i.e. check facebook, etc.) but when using a textbook one’s more focused on the material.
Glad I got the text though I can’t believe it sells for over $100. It’s not an imposing book.</p>
<p>Good to know that the syllabus now says either or because I still have yet to recieve a response to my email. I’m going to go ahead and order the book…Nolette and wtztu, how many days did it take for the book to arrive?</p>
<p>2010VE, it took 4-5 days to get here from Puerto Rico…they sent it UPS for the standard $3.99 shipping charge and it had a tracking number. I also ordered a book for another class from a vendor in another state that sent it USPS for $3.99 with no way to track it and it took twice as long to get here. Just have it sent to your FSU address and you will have it in time.</p>
<p>Did you notice that after the first week we only have the class for two days a week? I’m so happy about that, since it was my first class on Monday morning!</p>
<p>Nolette, you were so right about the waiting to get the book thing…when I opened my cart up today to order the book the seller had none left :(. However, I found the book for 67.90 and amazon now gives college students FREE amazon prime for one year which gives you free 2-day shipping on every item you get! So if anyone is getting anything from amazon, make sure you sign up for amazon prime for the free one year trial which is ONLY for college students. It’s apparently a $79 value.
So basically, I paid as much as if I would’ve gotten it from the Puerto Rican seller and it’s getting here on Tuesday so I’ll get it right before I leave :).</p>
<p>And NO I most certainly did not notice that we only have class two days a week! Where did you find that out??</p>
<p>I found it on the CGS2100 Fall 2010 Syllabus–page 3 I think. You will only have to go to the twice a week HCB lecture hall class (after the first MCH class) according to what I copied and pasted below.</p>
<p>Course Options</p>
<p>Classroom: Students registered for sections not designated as “online” are enrolled in a classroom section of the course. Classroom students have weekly lecture class meeting on campus where lessons are provided and course topics are discussed. Classroom lectures will also include discussions concerning the homework and review for exams. </p>
<p>Lab Sections: Students registered for on-campus sections will notice that there are classes that are scheduled for either MCH 302 or MCH 304. Show up for the first meeting of these classes which will occur either in the first or second week of class. This meeting will be to introduce the syllabus in more detail and answer any questions. Otherwise the rooms are only used for makeup tests and special help sessions. Attendance is not needed after the first attendance.</p>
<p>Very nice, Nolette :). Awesome find!</p>