Apple Nets 350K Textbook Downloads In 3 Days 376
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."
Paper Books != Meritless (Score:5, Funny)
"there is very little merit to the physical textbook"
--Pierre de Fermat
Re:Not to mention... (Score:5, Funny)
Irregardless not of unwhat you maynotbe athinking, tis not unprecisely an acromulent word.
Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will (Score:5, Funny)
He means "disirregardless".
Re:What Apple will be remembered for (Score:4, 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.
Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will (Score:4, 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!
HOLY LOAD OF BULLSHIT BATMAN! (Score:4, 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!
Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Speaking of not mentioning...oh hell, I will (Score:4, 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.