Are the digital texts really on the way?

The New York Times published an article today about digital textbooks making their way into classrooms. I am fascinated about the move to digital texts as it just makes so much sense for so many reasons. Textbooks are linear and most teachers I work with don't teach content in a textbook linear structure. The textbook (except for Math) has become more of a resource for teachers and students that gathers dust until someone needs to look something up or there is a relevant section. However, I think the dust gets a bit thicker between uses. It doesn't matter that is has taken an economic downturn to push districts (esp. California) to look into these changes. There was one quote that was especially fascinating to me about schools that fail to make the switch to digital texts.

“In five years, I think the majority of students will be using digital textbooks,” said William M. Habermehl, superintendent of the 500,000-student Orange County schools. “They can be better than traditional textbooks.”

Schools that do not make the switch, Mr. Habermehl said, could lose their constituency.

“We’re still in a brick-and-mortar, 30-students-to-1-teacher paradigm,” Mr. Habermehl said, “but we need to get out of that framework to having 200 or 300 kids taking courses online, at night, 24/7, whenever they want.”

I'm glad the books are somewhere in the future....but when did we do something because we could lose our "constituency"? States are tinkering with charter and online schools but are those "choices" viable options for a suburban college bound student? I've read Christensen's book Disrupting Class and I find the idea of the cycle of innovation fascinating. I also shop with my feet....I go where I think I get the best product or the best deal...hopefully both. However, can our nation's communities really do the same thing? Will schools really tumble or at least change because of the innovation on the horizon. I am skeptical if not downright doubtful. Public schools are essentially a monopoly...particularly K-12. Schools are the slowest changing and possibily most insulated social institution. At this point in time I am putting my money on schools as being able to not change their model. Our basic public education has remained largely intact for the past 100 years...and I believe it will continue to do so.