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WOW! First killer iBook! Paper childrens books just become dinosaurs!

Sleazy E

Sleazy E

macrumors 65816
Nov 24, 2009
1,022
1
Disneyland
Ya they have a lite version to check out. I tried it this morning and thought it was pretty neat. I can imagine some very happy kids enjoying books done like this. Also makes it fun for adults to read them to their kids I imagine.
 
appleguy123

appleguy123

macrumors 604
Apr 1, 2009
6,864
2,542
15 minutes in the future
Sorry, but I don't see myself reading books like this. It's too distracting to read and not fun enough to be a game. I say this type of book (I would like a magazine like this) will die out very soon.
 
Sleazy E

Sleazy E

macrumors 65816
Nov 24, 2009
1,022
1
Disneyland
appleguy123 said:
Sorry, but I don't see myself reading books like this. It's too distracting to read and not fun enough to be a game. I say this type of book (I would like a magazine like this) will die out very soon.
Click to expand...

I don't think you are the target audience. It's safe to say they are targeting children or parents that will sit and read along with their child.
 
appleguy123

appleguy123

macrumors 604
Apr 1, 2009
6,864
2,542
15 minutes in the future
Sleazy E said:
I don't think you are the target audience. It's safe to say they are targeting children or parents that will sit and read along with their child.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm just dreadfully unimaginative, but when I have kids I will want them to read and not be tilting their $500 book around like an animal. I don't think that there is a market in between books and games right now.
 
gibbz

gibbz

macrumors 68030
May 31, 2007
2,701
100
Norman, OK
appleguy123 said:
Maybe I'm just dreadfully unimaginative, but when I have kids I will want them to read and not be tilting their $500 book around like an animal. I don't think that there is a market in between books and games right now.
Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree. I think this sort of reading experience immerses the child in the content and does nothing but promote their imaginations beyond a typical black and white text. It also makes it extremely fun for parents to interact with their children during the learning process. When I have children, I would love to have stuff like this for them. Again, that is just my humble opinion.
 
ipoddin

ipoddin

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2004
1,118
178
Los Angeles
appleguy123 said:
Maybe I'm just dreadfully unimaginative, but when I have kids I will want them to read and not be tilting their $500 book around like an animal. I don't think that there is a market in between books and games right now.
Click to expand...

Well once you have kids you'll see the appeal.
 
E

elistan

macrumors 6502a
Jun 30, 2007
997
443
Denver/Boulder, CO
appleguy123 said:
Maybe I'm just dreadfully unimaginative, but when I have kids I will want them to read and not be tilting their $500 book around like an animal. I don't think that there is a market in between books and games right now.
Click to expand...

I vote for the part I put in bold.
:D
Pop up books and touch-and-feel books (like the classic Pat the Bunny from 1940) are wonderful children's books. They're halfway between books and toys. I can't comment on this specific app, but a book that requires kids to tilt their $500 book reader like an animal is an excellent idea.

Even as an adult, I still like to stop and spend time with pop up books in stores if I see a particularly interesting one. :cool:
 
ClaireL

ClaireL

macrumors 6502a
Apr 4, 2010
522
0
New Jersey
gibbz said:
I would respectfully disagree. I think this sort of reading experience immerses the child in the content and does nothing but promote their imaginations beyond a typical black and white text. It also makes it extremely fun for parents to interact with their children during the learning process. When I have children, I would love to have stuff like this for them. Again, that is just my humble opinion.
Click to expand...

+1 I have the Lite version and think it's effin wonderful for all ages. Kids will love these types of books and it's the interactive feature that will keep them reading hopefully. Wonderful creative ideas at work here.
 
M

mbell75

macrumors 6502
Oct 30, 2007
489
0
This is amazing and you finally have something to show those haters who say "But what does the iPad do that I cant do with my laptop or my phone?" :D My friend saw on the news they have some upcoming ones even better than this in the summer. A dinosaur one where they walk and move around and you follow their journey and then a space one where the stars move, the planets rotate and all kinds of stuff. cant wait!
 
A

ashVID

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
239
0
I know it's an app but it's a book... I think you will see more "books" released as apps, especially the way 4.0 can handle "folders" of "apps" so you can have a books folder.

This is not how most people want to read newspapers, that's not the point. The point is that it is a new way to interact with a book. It also gives a book a lot more "replay value" if there is interaction. Now, let's imagine comic books for older kids where you can make a choice in the story. One time thru, you can be the hero, another time thru, the villain.

I hate the fuddy duddies who think this is somehow bad for literature. It actually is making it relevant for a new generation of kids who learn thru interaction. Those kids will eventually become adults and have the same expectation from their media.

Accept it, this is the wave of the future, don't like it, fair enough, send a telegram to whine about it or maybe tell your milk man.




ash =o)
 
D

dacreativeguy

macrumors 68020
Jan 27, 2007
2,032
223
If you have the money to let a 3 year old play with a $500 device, then you're list of worries in the world must be short.
 
gwynne

gwynne

macrumors 68000
Mar 11, 2010
1,816
8
Has anyone read The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson?

John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the "book" has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diamond_Age

The interactive kids books always make me think of this novel. Also, how cool would it be to have an interactive e-version of the novel itself?
 
PBG4 Dude

PBG4 Dude

macrumors 601
Jul 6, 2007
4,281
4,505
hugodrax said:
A modern version of the Popup books. Whats not to like?
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Exactly. My 5 year old son & I recently read the free Toy Story interactive book/app put out by Disney and it kept my son excited about reading and enthralled with interacting with the book.
 
G

goldenaustin

macrumors member
Jul 21, 2009
39
0
elistan said:
I vote for the part I put in bold.
:D
Pop up books and touch-and-feel books (like the classic Pat the Bunny from 1940) are wonderful children's books. They're halfway between books and toys. I can't comment on this specific app, but a book that requires kids to tilt their $500 book reader like an animal is an excellent idea.

Even as an adult, I still like to stop and spend time with pop up books in stores if I see a particularly interesting one. :cool:
Click to expand...

+1 on this. I read with my toddlers every single night (and I mean every single night) with regular books. Our sessions are 30 minutes min and sometimes an hour long since they enjoy it so much. It's also quality time together. These apps, and ebooks, imo, will never replace the traditional books, and I don't ever intend to instill that in them either. It's just an awesome way to break up the book routine once in a while. Oh, and btw, they had a blast with Curious George on the Kindle iPad app.

dacreativeguy said:
If you have the money to let a 3 year old play with a $500 device, then you're list of worries in the world must be short.
Click to expand...

I have a 3 and 4 year old, and no the idea is not to let them play with this app on the iPad by themselves. You want to sit with your child and interact with this app while you hold the iPad or at least supervise them if then need to hold it themselves. We read in their beds, so even if it slips, it's dropping right on to the bed.
 
kas23

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
dacreativeguy said:
If you have the money to let a 3 year old play with a $500 device, then you're list of worries in the world must be short.
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Exactly, just wait until your 3 year-old drops it or drops food on it. Seriously, it makes me doubt this guy even has kids. They treat regular books like garbage, how is one to keep the iPad intact?
 
V

vini-vidi-vici

macrumors 6502
Jan 7, 2010
416
0
kas23 said:
Exactly, just wait until your 3 year-old drops it or drops food on it. Seriously, it makes me doubt this guy even has kids. They treat regular books like garbage, how is one to keep the iPad intact?
Click to expand...

If you'd leave your kid alone to play with a $500 device, makes me wonder too... Ever heard of adult supervision?
 
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