Ditching The Bookbag For iPad
Can an iPad replace an overstuffed knapsack when it comes to the way high school students haul around their textbooks? Apple is hoping that will be the case, now that it has launched an upgrade to its iBooks application that can handle text books. The company says it will also begin selling e-texts, electronic versions of standard high-school books. However, there are some obstacles that may keep Apple from getting a solid foothold in the high school textbook space. One reason: textbooks are usually bought by schools, not students. And the texts are reused year after year, which isn’t possible with the electronic versions. Any new text books that come out are subject to long approval processes which can negate the speed and ease with which ebooks can be published.
Can an iPad replace an overstuffed knapsack when it comes to the way high school students haul around their textbooks? Apple is hoping that will be the case, now that it has launched an upgrade to its iBooks application that can handle text books. The company says it will also begin selling e-texts, electronic versions of standard high-school books. However, there are some obstacles that may keep Apple from getting a solid foothold in the high school textbook space. One reason: textbooks are usually bought by schools, not students. And the texts are reused year after year, which isn’t possible with the electronic versions. Any new text books that come out are subject to long approval processes which can negate the speed and ease with which ebooks can be published.
