Slashdot Mirror


Apple Nets 350K Textbook Downloads In 3 Days

redletterdave writes "On Jan. 19, Apple introduced iBooks 2, its digital solution to the physical textbook. In the first three days of release, users have downloaded more than 350,000 e-textbooks from the new platform, and more than 90,000 users have downloaded the authoring tool to make those e-textbooks, called iBooks Author. It makes sense that Apple's iBooks 2 platform is taking off in such a short period of time; there is very little merit to the physical textbook, and the education industry has been waiting for a viable solution like this for some time. Physical textbooks lack portability, durability, accessibility, consistent quality, interactivity and searchability, and they're not environmentally friendly."

8 of 376 comments (clear)

  1. Paper Books != Meritless by idontgno · · Score: 4, Funny

    "there is very little merit to the physical textbook"

    ...it is impossible to separate a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into two fourth powers, or in general, any power higher than the second, into two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this read-only ebook will not permit me to record.

    --Pierre de Fermat

    --
    Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  2. Re:Not to mention... by somersault · · Score: 5, Funny

    Irregardless not of unwhat you maynotbe athinking, tis not unprecisely an acromulent word.

    --
    which is totally what she said
  3. Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will by Zadaz · · Score: 4, Funny

    He means "disirregardless".

  4. Re:What Apple will be remembered for by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Funny

    "But what happens when I want to go to school with my Galaxy Tab, and I'm told that I can't get my "digital textbooks" because they're not supported on my device?"

    The rest of your students don their white robes point at you and emit a screetching sound that penetrates your soul. as you run down the hallway you hear chants from the other students of ...."join us, be one of us...join us...."

    That is pretty much what happens.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  5. Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will by Capsaicin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Irregardless is absolutely a word.

    Very true, and it would be confrugulous to add the every neologism has that irredufable claim. Irrespective and regardless (sorry, I mean 'irregardless') of wissent the constambulantient grammar nazi's think!

    --
    Better to be despised for too anxious apprehensions, than ruined by too confident a security. --Edmund Burke
  6. HOLY LOAD OF BULLSHIT BATMAN! by Khyber · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Physical textbooks lack portability, durability, accessibility, consistent quality, interactivity and searchability, and they're not environmentally friendly.""

    Portability: I could carry my entire year in my backpack.

    Durability: Yea, that little piece of silicon you're holding is just as susceptible to fire, heat, water, OH AND CRASHING. Books aren't crashing. Books don't need an expensive proprietary OS to work, they truly 'just work.'

    Accessibility/interactivity/searching: Most books meant for rapid searching/accessibility have both indexes and a table of contents - TWO SEARCH ENGINES! IMAGINE THAT!

    Consistent Quality: Books don't need software updates, and aren't prone to getting hacked. Revisions do happen, but they're few and far between because of TRUE quality control.

    Environmentally Friendly: They're more environmentally friendly (and trap lots more carbon) than your strip-mined piece of silicon, iridium, cadmium, etc. Takes less energy to manufacture, too!

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  7. Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Funny

    Betcha peevers ain't a real word neither.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  8. Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm going to have to find ways to use it ...

    Use it?

    I think I've been there - it's a town in Wales.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."