They could have gone with non-networked ereaders. But they just had to go with the "smart" and "connected" angle so they could do grading, spying on kids,etc.. similar to the current "AI" approach. scope-creep. but even with ereaders, being able to switch to different books easily is an impediment, or having access to too many at one time. Physical books force a certain focus and attention.

Your point about tactility is solid too. flipping through pages is very different from swiping. With educational textbooks, you'd have to look at multiple pages at the same time (flipping back and forth quickly) to connect and understand a topic by referencing another topic. Same with being able to easily lay out multiple physical books in front of you.