If anyone wondered whether Apple’s entry into the world of digital textbooks was a good idea, then they should feast their eyes on this not inconsiderable number – users have downloaded 350,000 textbooks in just three days.
The huge number comes after Apple announced the availability of digital textbooks via its online iBooks store Thursday, with titles available from day one. Apple announced the new digital books in New York, with Phil Schiller running proceedings with new CEO Tim Cook nowhere to be seen.
Users of Apple’s iPad can download textbooks from big name publishers directly from Apple, with content offering unique interactive experiences that paper books just cannot compete with, it really can’t, really. Tie that in with instant availability and the digital books’ ability to be constantly updated and Apple’s solution has the potential to change how kids are educated.
Possibly the new textbooks’ biggest feature isn’t really a feature at all, and that’s their price. With big titles selling for just $15 a pop, there is no reason for kids to not own the textbooks they need for their classes, and that is without a doubt a big plus in Apple’s column.
All these advantages have seen users downloading huge numbers of books, though the initial novelty factor does have to be taken into account here. We’ll be interested to see how these figures stand up in six and twelve months time.
The figure comes courtesy of Global Equities Research and AllThingsD, with Apple’s entry into the classroom set to change it in a way similar to how iTunes changed the music industry. Steve Jobs had alluded to such a feat when interviewed by his biographer, Walter Isaacson, and it seems that Apple is very much on its way to realizing Jobs’ dream already.
The other side of this equation is iPad sales. Whether the advent of Apple’s new digital textbooks drives iPad sales or not remains to be seen, though it certainly will not harm them.
In your honest opinion, do you think the introduction of textbooks on the iPad is a great way for kids to learn and speed up their learning process? Drop your thoughts on our pages, links given below.
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