There are a bunch of informative articles about the new iBooks software that Apple introduced today. I have to say the general concept is a good one- moving all those textbooks from there current form to a digital one. Apple claims to have solved some of the technical problems and has a bunch of the big publishing houses for textbooks on board.
In addition to what the textbook publishing industry moves to the digital format, Apple is also supplying software to enable anyone create a textbook.
Overall, pretty impressive stuff and with the publishers onboard, it’s quite likely a significant coup for Apple on the order of what iTunes did for music. I suppose one big question is “What will be the adoption rate?” Although, it may not matter if Apple is committing itself for the long haul.
The only criticism that comes to mind is it’s an “only Apple” solution. But then, it’s not clear to me that anyone else could possibly have stepped up to pull this off like Apple.
One reply on “Checking Out iBooks”
Well…the problem with iBooks is that is an “only Apple” application…unlike Kindle or some of the others, meaning, once you adopt it, you are married for life with no option for transfer. Unfortunately, Jobs and the boys at Google did not work out that issue before he died.
With all the hardware contracts that Apple has with American Universities, it is not overly surprising that they are the ONLY ones who were smart enough to figure out how to digitally convert a textbook. I can imagine that that is a problem right up there with cold fusion and the voids of space…whats that I smell?!?
Oh yeah, it is BS.