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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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It appears that Apple plans to include support for iBooks Textbooks on the iPhone and the iPod touch with the launch of iOS 7. As noted by 9to5Mac, the iOS 7 App Store includes a new "iBooks Textbooks" section in the educational category.

The section is currently unpopulated, but it does contain the framework for future textbook offerings. There are a number of subject headings, including Humanities, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences, which include promotional graphics optimized for the iPhone. Section headings are also populated, advertising a number of book bundles like "High School Core Curriculum" and "School Yourself Hands-on Calculus."

textbooks.jpg
The appearance of iBooks Textbooks in the App Store comes following an iBooks Author wording change suggesting Apple could be adding iPhone support for content created with the iBooks Author app. While the wording was later changed back to specify that such content was viewable only on the iPad, the wording has been changed once again to include all iOS devices with iBooks 3.0 or later.

iPhone support for Textbooks and other iBooks Author content is a logical step for Apple as it continues its educational push to get more iOS devices in classrooms. The company has signed several major educational deals in recent months and it has also changed its iTunes Terms and Conditions to allow students under age 13 to create educational iTunes accounts for the first time.

Apple is also planning to expand the reach of its iBooks with Mavericks, introducing an iBooks Mac app for the first time. The app, which is geared toward students, includes a number of study tools like automatically generated note cards and simple note-taking capabilities. iOS 7 is expected to be release shortly after the launch of the new iPhones on September 10, with Mavericks expected somewhat later in October.

Update: The Textbooks section has now been removed from the iOS 7 App Store.

Article Link: iOS 7 May Include iPhone Support for iBooks Textbooks
 

A Hebrew

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2012
846
2
Minnesota
This iBooks Textbooks thing is going nowhere without Apple releasing some sort of Android/Windows Software for iBooks.
 

Jessica Lares

macrumors G3
Oct 31, 2009
9,612
1,055
Near Dallas, Texas, USA
This iBooks Textbooks thing is going nowhere without Apple releasing some sort of Android/Windows Software for iBooks.

Windows tablets at this rate cost more than iPads, and Android tablets at the iPad Mini size cost about the same too.

I think old hardware on older Windows machines would just ruin the experience. Too many Windows 7 machines that can't even play YouTube without any issues. Too many Android devices which can't even run Vine properly either.
 

A Hebrew

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2012
846
2
Minnesota
Windows tablets at this rate cost more than iPads, and Android tablets at the iPad Mini size cost about the same too.

I think old hardware on older Windows machines would just ruin the experience. Too many Windows 7 machines that can't even play YouTube without any issues. Too many Android devices which can't even run Vine properly either.

I was not just talking tablets. If you look at a college (Or at least the one I go to) people use 2 pieces of technology more than anything else: A laptop and a smartphone. Smartphones really aren't for textbooks so the primary thing to 'go after' is tablets and desktop/laptop computers. The nice thing with Windows is you can create software for both tablets and computers in one go. It sounds like your experience with Android tablets is very poor, you are most definitely in the minority.

Also, any laptop that can hardly handle Windows 7 is either ridiculously cheap or malfunctioning. Again, you have to think of the market for textbooks, most students going into college buy NEW laptops. I thought I would be seeing mainly Apple in college, while Apple is the popular brand at my school I see more W8 laptops.
 

joelvega125

macrumors regular
Jun 15, 2010
145
7
My Kindle app has done this for some time now. And the books are cheaper. So tired of Apple dragging their a** with products/services. Have fun with the iPhone S(same) and a fairy colored OS.
 

0000757

macrumors 68040
Dec 16, 2011
3,894
850
This iBooks Textbooks thing is going nowhere without Apple releasing some sort of Android/Windows Software for iBooks.

While in my personal opinion Android is a horrible choice for a tablet, I do agree with you, at least having iBooks for Windows. This would be extremely useful for people who want the iBooks Textbooks on their computers without having to buy a Mac. Maybe we'll see iBooks for Windows after Mac OS X 10.9 comes out. Maybe. Windows got iTunes after all to support Apple's growing focus on the "i" hardware and it's digital distribution platform. iBooks is essentially part of the iTunes family, so I theorize we'll see iBooks for Windows sometime in the future. Maybe an iCloud version like iWork for iCloud at the very minimum.

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My Kindle app has done this for some time now. And the books are cheaper. So tired of Apple dragging their a** with products/services. Have fun with the iPhone S(same) and a fairy colored OS.

You realize Amazon didn't add textbooks to their store until after Apple launched iBooks Textbooks for the iPad back when the iPad 3 came out (or it might have even been before then). I also just looked at Amazon's price for Kindle Editions of their textbooks (which unlike iBooks, are NOT interactive textbooks, but essentially just static ebook files) and they are MUCH more expensive.

Sorry, but your attempt here has failed.
 

Banyan Bruce

macrumors regular
Jun 8, 2009
148
13
Devon, UK
A light in the wilderness of introspect thinking..

This iBooks Textbooks thing is going nowhere without Apple releasing some sort of Android/Windows Software for iBooks.

Bravo....

Until Apple stops this nonsense of keeping iBooks as an Apple only app...it will go nowhere. Textbooks on iPhones...really ? These books should be on every platform and OS so they can be read, deployed and integrated. Without this level of flexibility this is program will not gain traction and Flash based books will continue to proliferate. If you want to kill Flash based educational books...get serious and provide a real UNIVERSAL platform alternative with integrated tools like Tumult Hype. http://tumult.com/hype/

As for the iBooks on iPhones, nice but not essential. iBooks on Nexus tablets and Windows Surface (or whatever comes next), strategically essential. All Apple need is Google or MS to come up with an reall non Flash alternative and the moment will be lost. Apple need to realise how far behind the curve education ICT and cost constrained it really is.

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I thought I would be seeing mainly Apple in college, while Apple is the popular brand at my school I see more W8 laptops.


That's because they are cheap and in the UK, Apple is too expensive and far too difficult for ICT managers to work with. :eek:

ICT Managers recommend Windows to the fund holders, but really can you blame them. Apple aren't really serious about Education ICT in the UK. :confused:
 
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batchtaster

macrumors 65816
Mar 3, 2008
1,031
217
This iBooks Textbooks thing is going nowhere without Apple releasing some sort of Android/Windows Software for iBooks.

Right, because nothing Apple has done with iOS has been successful without them supporting Android. Look at all the apps they were forced to release to Google Play just to get those services off the ground. Like... and that other one... and the one with the thing... and how nobody used them until Apple came to their senses and made the same functionality available on competing tablets and phones. If only schools would actually pay attention to iOS and the iPad... but maybe supporting Android will turn that around...

Seriously. Did you just arrive on the turnip truck or do you really not understand how Apple works? How Apple has always driven their business strategy, and have for decades? They have no interest in making $1 here and $1 there off Android users who simply have Store-jealousy and no intention of buying an iPad. Let alone giving them a reason not to buy an iPad by bleeding their product differentiation onto another platform. You chose not to get an iPad? Then you chose not to have access to iPad features. That was the decision you made, either consciously or otherwise: "I prioritize other things over the iBook Textbook Store". Whatever they might be. Now you're complaining about it? Sounds like buyer's regret. Either you need to choose more carefully next time, or you need to make peace with your decision. Or both.

Or neither and just stew about it silently.
 
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WordMasterRice

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2010
734
100
Upstate NY
Right, because nothing Apple has done with iOS has been successful without them supporting Android. Look at all the apps they were forced to release to Google Play just to get those services off the ground. Like... and that other one... and the one with the thing... and how nobody used them until Apple came to their senses and made the same functionality available on competing tablets and phones. If only schools would actually pay attention to iOS and the iPad... but maybe supporting Android will turn that around...

Seriously. Did you just arrive on the turnip truck or do you really not understand how Apple works? How Apple has always driven their business strategy, and have for decades? They have no interest in making $1 here and $1 there off Android users who simply have Store-jealousy and no intention of buying an iPad. Let alone giving them a reason not to buy an iPad by bleeding their product differentiation onto another platform. You chose not to get an iPad? Then you chose not to have access to iPad features. That was the decision you made, either consciously or otherwise: "I prioritize other things over the iBook Textbook Store". Whatever they might be. Now you're complaining about it? Sounds like buyer's regret. Either you need to choose more carefully next time, or you need to make peace with your decision. Or both.

Or neither and just stew about it silently.

iBooks is unlike anything else that Apple does. If you want to use iTunes for android all you have to do is buy the song and load it on your device. Same with using iTunes for a windows phone. Other than iWork (which isn't really isn't that far ahead of other word processors/spreadsheet apps) there is nothing that is so locked to the platform.

I would never buy an iBook or iBook Textbook knowing that if I leave iDevices I lose my entire library. Why anyone would purchase an iBook over a Kindle version for a similar price is beyond me. Why would you pay the same price for a book that you can only read on your iPhone an iPad when you could get the same thing but read it on iPhone, iPad, Android, WP8, Windows, Mac, Kindle.
 

Battlefield Fan

macrumors 65816
Mar 9, 2008
1,063
0
Not sure how piratical that would be.... Not to mention it doesn't seem like text books haven't taken off.
 

tdtran1025

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2011
275
0
Apple's grand scheme may be to hedge against competition. The new airplay feature in iTunes would in theory be able to tell other Apple devices to display purchased contents.
The sticky point now is the DOJ punity which remains to be seen. Yet, textbooks are so expensive, not because of their weight in value, but because of the prestige of authors.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
The textbook I just bought in eBook format from Amazon was $57.99. Tell me how that's cheap? It's not even in the iBookstore.

Not shocking, amazon loves to require exclusive rights and textbook companies do not like that Apple is happy to give price control but with upper limits.

Between the two folks are screwed when it comes to many texts even now
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
???How is reading and studying a 1,000 page text book on a small 3.5" or 4" practical???:confused:

Heck if I know but I was replying to the comment about textbooks taking off and said iPad.

So how's about you reply to what was said. Not put words in folks mouths.

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Yet, textbooks are so expensive, not because of their weight in value, but because of the prestige of authors.

Exclusive sales rights and pricing control don't help.

The DOJ claims it is being consumer friendly with this stuff against Apple but many of the real issues are wise deals that limit consumer choice like Amazon demanding that Downton Abbey be removed from all other steaming sources and only they get the Hunger Games novels. And unlike Apple, no other company said the publishers could have price control with a limit of how high they could go for almost all books. That is something the DOJ ignored. Just like ignoring that all companies have MFNs etc. Or that Amazon has and has used the power to remove access to books paid for including remote deleting them from users devices.
 

Battlefield Fan

macrumors 65816
Mar 9, 2008
1,063
0
Heck if I know but I was replying to the comment about textbooks taking off and said iPad.

So how's about you reply to what was said. Not put words in folks mouths.

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Exclusive sales rights and pricing control don't help.

The DOJ claims it is being consumer friendly with this stuff against Apple but many of the real issues are wise deals that limit consumer choice like Amazon demanding that Downton Abbey be removed from all other steaming sources and only they get the Hunger Games novels. And unlike Apple, no other company said the publishers could have price control with a limit of how high they could go for almost all books. That is something the DOJ ignored. Just like ignoring that all companies have MFNs etc. Or that Amazon has and has used the power to remove access to books paid for including remote deleting them from users devices.
Woah! Sassy != classy. Anyways your comment isn't clear, which is why your upset with the comment you received. Sucks.
 
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