Apple Introduces Plans for iBook Textbooks

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Messages
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On Thursday, Apple quietly released new software to facilitate the expansion of digital education tools. The new software is called iBooks 2, iBooks Author and iTunesU, all free and all designed to expand the scope of the growing digital education market. Publishers and educators are slowly adapting to the migration from printed learning to digital format with Apple being a major player in the transition.
 
Another Apple product that removes freedom from everyone and gives it all to Apple. All in all you're just another brick in the wall. Read the terms and conditions very carefully.
 
Fuck being locked to a single overpriced crap manafacturer's platform. iTunes is insultingly bad, as is all their software. Stay the hell away from this one.
 
iTunes U is great. Interactive textbooks (reasonably priced) will be really cool.
 
This is Non News. Why waist time on Apple stuff when there is nothing [H]ard about Apple.
 
i have taken a couple of courses that offered kindle editions of their required texts, wasn't too bad, but I still prefer traditional textbooks(other than the price).
 
Remember what happened when apple got into ebooks? Prices shot up around the net 150%. This is going to be bad. :(
 
Is this going to be a proprietary format? Or will other apps/tablets be able to use it as well?
 
Sly said:
Is this going to be a proprietary format? Or will other apps/tablets be able to use it as well?
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What do you think?

Long before the ipod the only thing that kept Apple alive was selling overpriced computers to schools, so it appears they are returning to their roots.
 
Waste. Spelling was correct for waist. It was just the wrong definition waist/waste. happens to everyone at one time or another. It was just the first thing that came into mind while typing and since i saw no red line under the words i didn't bother proofread. Your insult was lame at best.
 
rflcptr said:
Your spelling certainly isn't [H]ard.
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His spelling isn't the issue. He technically spelt the word 'waist' correctly. It was his diction where the fault lies. You know; his word choice. If you are going to be a grammar nazi, you have to learn to do it correctly yourself first. Otherwise, people are just going to grammar nazi you back all day long with a bit of added redicule for good measure.
 
I just don't see why Apple to want to get into the textbook market. Their business models are entirely different. Textbook makers are experts at milking their consumers with rediculously over-priced books where each 'generation' has little to no advancement over the previous generation but consumers are expected to immediately rush out and buy the incrementally better version for full price.... oh wait :p. Apple and textbook makers will get along just fine. Their business model is eriely similar.
 
Yawn. There's so many ways to produce and distribute cross platform digital content currently that what's the point of this?
 
heatlesssun said:
Yawn. There's so many ways to produce and distribute cross platform digital content currently that what's the point of this?
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because, as always, apple knows how to give a proper user experience. It's funny how many people (read: you) still don't get that. Ever notice how everyone seems to follow Apple like clockwork? Let's see, the modern smartphone, modern tablet, app store, "ultrabooks" (lol at this last one, macbook air ripoff anyone). The clueless (read:you) will try and posit that the industry was headed in the direction anyway, yet, it's always funny how apple seems to get there first, time and time again.
 
Marlfox said:
Remember what happened when apple got into ebooks? Prices shot up around the net 150%. This is going to be bad. :(
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Let's see, most of the textbooks are around $15 on this platform. Hard copies are around $79 to $100. You do the math.
 
JoeUser said:
WTF does spelling have to do with being [H]ard? Your insult to formula409 was quite oft...grow up and quit being unnecessarily mean.
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... and his post wasn't unnecessarily mean? It was created for no other purpose than trolling. If there was some additional value in it, I sure didn't see it.
 
Ryan711 said:
because, as always, apple knows how to give a proper user experience.
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Well when it comes to iTunes, there's a lot of people not so sold on that "always" part. Again, my point is that there's just SO many ways to do digital content that doesn't tie one to a single platform.
 
I'm currently an instructor and we put various plans together for outfitting us with tablets since we use more the twenty reems of paper a class. This recently got brought up and shot down purely due to software.

It's cool but amazon won hands down and all we are waiting for is funding now.
 
Publishers and educators are slowly adapting to the migration from printed learning to digital format with Apple being a major player in the transition.
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It's a no brainer for publishers. No printing (just digital copies making you money) and they can rape people even more because there's no way for those copies (besides "illegal") to be resold on the used market.
 
@John Baxter

It's Free??? And incredibly powerful, and will enpower teachers to teach, and make books more affordable for students and will help improve learning and education as a whole... Oh.. And it will probably put an end to powerpoint (thank god!!!)... And the catch is that there are some restrictions as a result of this software and ecosystem going out to the world for free... Do you people even bother to listen to yourselves???

i8thecat4
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Comment from ZDNet article linked a few posts up. Gotta love the AppleFanBoism koolaid on that one.
 
WBurchnall said:
I just don't see why Apple to want to get into the textbook market. Their business models are entirely different. Textbook makers are experts at milking their consumers with rediculously over-priced books where each 'generation' has little to no advancement over the previous generation but consumers are expected to immediately rush out and buy the incrementally better version for full price.... oh wait :p. Apple and textbook makers will get along just fine. Their business model is eriely similar.
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This is an attempt by Apple to gain control over the schools. Just imaging how many iPads they can sell to the public school system if one is given to every kid. (and replacing all the broken ones)

As for the greedy text book makers and thier over-price books, they will get what they deserve. If Apple ends up controlling the electronic school book market, Apple will squeeze them like an over ripe plum. Apple will end up deciding what books are available to schools, based on how much money they can make on each book.

The alternative will be an Android or Windows 8 tablet, or possibly something from Amazon. Alot is going to depend on who controls the ebooks, and what is available.

iPads are to expensive and fragile to be used in grade school and possibly even high scool. What's needed is a much more durable tablet (with a cover/case) that is locked down, and with inexpensive ebooks. Only when the cost of a tablet and the books becomes cheaper (and that includes replacement units and the IT costs) will tablets make sense.
 
rflcptr said:
iTunes U is great. Interactive textbooks (reasonably priced) will be really cool.
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Don't think I've ever heard anyone call iTunes great. Most people I know either hate it or find it barly tolerable.

As far as I'm concerned, it's malware when installed on Windows.
 
lolpantiesinaknot
formula409 said:
Waste. Spelling was correct for waist. It was just the wrong definition waist/waste. happens to everyone at one time or another. It was just the first thing that came into mind while typing and since i saw no red line under the words i didn't bother proofread. Your insult was lame at best.
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In other words, you spelled the correct word incorrectly. Gotcha.
WBurchnall said:
His spelling isn't the issue. He technically spelt the word 'waist' correctly. It was his diction where the fault lies. You know; his word choice. If you are going to be a grammar nazi, you have to learn to do it correctly yourself first. Otherwise, people are just going to grammar nazi you back all day long with a bit of added redicule for good measure.
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Diction? Try again. Nazi? lol. *ridicule, too. :p
 
Sly said:
http://www.eink.com/rugged.html

Don't know if this is a hoax or the price, but it actually looks durable enough for public schools.
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Definitely seems durable enough for the average school vandal.
This guy may have what it takes to be a [H]ard tester as far as his torture testing methods go. I sure would've liked to have seen the shotgun & thermite tests though! :D (are you reading Kyle? We want THERMITE! :eek: ).
Of course a complete set of comparison tests of all e-readers would have to be made. That would really be fun to watch. I wonder just how well each e-reader would fare.
 
Sly said:
http://www.eink.com/rugged.html

Don't know if this is a hoax or the price, but it actually looks durable enough for public schools.
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Not sure why he was saying "bending doesn't seem to hurt it other than leaving a few marks"...yeah, irreparable marks where the coloring is wrong on the screen. I'd say that's an issue, personally.

I mean, I can probably stab my LCD monitor and it will still "work" in parts with just some "marks on the screen"...lol.
 
MavericK96 said:
Not sure why he was saying "bending doesn't seem to hurt it other than leaving a few marks"...yeah, irreparable marks where the coloring is wrong on the screen. I'd say that's an issue, personally.

I mean, I can probably stab my LCD monitor and it will still "work" in parts with just some "marks on the screen"...lol.
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I've cracked a couple of LCD's, the entire screen will either go black, or turn static. The sample in that video still works.
 
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