Been using this in our local Stop & Shop for the last year and it really does make the trip easier. You're allowed to use the express lane no matter how much you're buying if you use the hand-held scanner. The only pain is occassionally they do a random audit which requires a cashier to come over and scan 7 random items in your bags. The cool part is you can bag as you add to your cart and keep track of how much you're spending.

I used to work for McGraw-Hill Education. My office did web work and Flash/Director CD-ROMs to support the K-12 books for their divisions. It's been a long time since I've been with them but I very distinctly recall that Texas, Florida, and California hold huge sway over the content of the national editions. This happens because those three states do statewide purchasing of all of textbooks for public schools instead of setting requirements and letting local districts purchase books that meet the criteria like every other state. Large publishers don't like to develop separate editions for states. It's expensive. They mostly do social studies since there's usually an element of local history and culture required in that subject. Sometimes a state will make special arrangements with a publisher to get their own state edition in a particular book. This usually involves the state ensuring a certain amount of sales by requiring the book. But don't think large publishers are going to put out a special Texas edition of science if the same book will sell just as well in much of the rest of the country.