The Apple Textbook
In case you missed it, Apple announce a new push to position the iPad in the middle of the textbook market. Whether you are a fan, hater or somewhere in between, you should agree that Apple has a solid history of changing the market. The textbook market is ripe for change. I questioned the impact of the iPhone when I first read of Apple's plan to enter the cell phone market, and was probably one of the best moves the company has ever made.
The textbook industry needs to change. The books are overpriced, the publishing timeframe is slow and content could be more engaging in a different medium. Publishers have slowly been moving in this direction with various levels of add-on and companions, yet the e-textbook has seen limited adoption (about 2.8% of the market) and limited student interest. The iPad and other tablets do change the way we engage and read text, and this new commitment might be what the industry needs to continue to evolve.
I am a fan (not fanboy) of Apple, but don't think every move they make is sweet tea and gumdrops. The closed platform is the biggest barrier I see to this new initiative. Limiting distribution to a single device and through a single channel (iTunes), is too constricting to work on a broad scale.
It will also be interesting to see how publishers handle what appears to be a huge gap in cost. Most textbooks are running in the $150 - $300 range, and the quoted iPad text prices are set at $14.99. It has been a while since my last Econ class, but that does not seem to line up. How long will it be before the texts are flooded with in app advertisements and riddled with $2.99 content access upgrades?
I was happy to see the announcement of iBooks Author, and am excited to try the new app. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more information about OER texts in this announcement, and ways to open access and decrease costs.
