ScrollMotion tapped by publishers to develop textbook apps for iPad

13»

Comments

  • Reply 41 of 58
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhyde View Post




    ... and you might add that the abuse that leads to worn-out books will quickly destroy those iPads.



    Is this a concern? Certainly. Is it a dealbreaker? No. The current situation is not sustainable. There is a lot of money to be made in finding a solution. I am confident that a solution will be found.
  • Reply 42 of 58
    I've tried ScrollMotion books and I have been underwhelmed. GoodReader (a PDF reader, not ebook app) or Kobo do a better job that ScrollMotion. My hope is that textbook companies realize that bringing books to mobile devices requires more than just slapping an index and text search on a PDF. They need to look at iPhone applications and rethink the textbook for a digital age. My suggestion would be to hire nontextbook designers, give them a month to come up with an iPad revision of the textbook and see what happens.
  • Reply 43 of 58
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by michaelcf View Post


    I've tried ScrollMotion books and I have been underwhelmed. ...



    The thing that you have to keep in mind is that the Iceberg Reader is an iPhone app. I don't know about you, but I would certainly not expect to be blown away by the experience of reading a Harry Potter book on my iPhone. The iPad, however, has a lot more real estate onscreen. Let's see what ScrollMotion does with it.
  • Reply 44 of 58
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Kids don't get textbooks from older siblings. Didn't you go to school? When did you take your book home at the end of the semester? Those books belong to the school, and must be returned.



    I had to buy textbooks in high school and college, both public.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    This will be great for school systems. They have the bargaining power individuals don't have. They will get good deals for the books. Not only will students from K-6 be getting iPads instead of laptops, they'll be getting their books in there too. This will save school systems millions of dollars.



    "You can't put digital content into schools unless there are computers and laptops there to read it. That's the key – and it's happening in some districts but not in others," said Jay Diskey of the Association of American Publishers. "It's a slow evolution, and in a state like Texas, where there is a large enrollment, it is a very expensive proposition." - Dallas Morning News Mar 5, 2009



    Not many school systems can afford the hardware or supporting that hardware. Also, publishers want to make MORE money off of this system. I'd love to hear which altruistic publisher is going to take less money over the long run. They count on books wearing out, and they count on getting paid for replacing them. That cost will be factored in and passed on to the taxpayer. The war between Apple and Amazon shows that publishers have the upper hand and they don't intend to take any less.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    The purchase and maintenance of textbooks are major expenses for school systems.



    And the publishers can't wait to give that money back, right?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Me View Post


    Children who live in poor neighborhoods are often disadvantaged because their districts cannot afford to replace worn-out books. The iPad [and other ebook readers] will eliminate this expense. Schools will be able to issue ebook readers to each child with the child's textbooks preloaded. Would we also like to replace traditional desktop or laaptop computers with iPads?



    What planet are you on that kids from poorer neighborhoods are going to get to carry around iPads? They don't even get cheap laptops at this point. Anyone think a kid in a poor neighborhood walking around with a $500 piece of hardware might be a target? No one wants to take a kid's schoolbook - but an iPad? Well, its your fantasy world, so make up whatever you like.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    and include 801.n WiFi, which just about every school in the nation has.



    Find ANY link you can that says close to 100% of schools are on an n network and not abg. ANY, and I won't say you are full of it.



    Here's the latest data I could find:

    "Forty-five percent of public schools with Internet access used wireless connections in 2005"

    http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=46



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Then when they come into school, they can plug them into the keyboard dock at their desk. No more need for a computer lab, because these are so small, and cheap.



    Keyboard dock at their desk? Who is going to pay for that? Average spending per student for an ENTIRE YEAR is between $5-7000. A 2008 study showed only 25% of the LARGEST school districts had only ONE grade level supplied with laptops. You're smoking crack if you think the iPad will show up in all but the wealthiest districts.



    Keep dreaming guys. My wife works at a school district. They're still running Windows XP and she's working on a computer that's running Windows 98. This in one of the wealthiest counties in Texas.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    ...the mind boggles with the potential!



    Try going to a school board meeting and bringing this iPad idea up with budgets where they are right now. They'll laugh you out of the room. If the attempt to get laptops and e-books in the hands of kids today is any indication, you've got about 10 years before even 10-20% of classroom used this technology, and that's not even strictly iPads.
  • Reply 45 of 58
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Foo2 View Post


    The iPad will initially come with OS 3.2 installed



    Where did you get this info from?
  • Reply 46 of 58
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pixelcruncher View Post


    I had to buy textbooks in high school and college, both public.







    "You can't put digital content into schools unless there are computers and laptops there to read it. That's the key ? and it's happening in some districts but not in others," said Jay Diskey of the Association of American Publishers. "It's a slow evolution, and in a state like Texas, where there is a large enrollment, it is a very expensive proposition." - Dallas Morning News Mar 5, 2009



    Not many school systems can afford the hardware or supporting that hardware. Also, publishers want to make MORE money off of this system. I'd love to hear which altruistic publisher is going to take less money over the long run. They count on books wearing out, and they count on getting paid for replacing them. That cost will be factored in and passed on to the taxpayer. The war between Apple and Amazon shows that publishers have the upper hand and they don't intend to take any less.







    And the publishers can't wait to give that money back, right?







    What planet are you on that kids from poorer neighborhoods are going to get to carry around iPads? They don't even get cheap laptops at this point. Anyone think a kid in a poor neighborhood walking around with a $500 piece of hardware might be a target? No one wants to take a kid's schoolbook - but an iPad? Well, its your fantasy world, so make up whatever you like.







    Find ANY link you can that says close to 100% of schools are on an n network and not abg. ANY, and I won't say you are full of it.



    Here's the latest data I could find:

    "Forty-five percent of public schools with Internet access used wireless connections in 2005"

    http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=46







    Keyboard dock at their desk? Who is going to pay for that? Average spending per student for an ENTIRE YEAR is between $5-7000. A 2008 study showed only 25% of the LARGEST school districts had only ONE grade level supplied with laptops. You're smoking crack if you think the iPad will show up in all but the wealthiest districts.



    Keep dreaming guys. My wife works at a school district. They're still running Windows XP and she's working on a computer that's running Windows 98. This in one of the wealthiest counties in Texas.







    Try going to a school board meeting and bringing this iPad idea up with budgets where they are right now. They'll laugh you out of the room. If the attempt to get laptops and e-books in the hands of kids today is any indication, you've got about 10 years before even 10-20% of classroom used this technology, and that's not even strictly iPads.











    ------



    All the above is probably correct. BUT Apple is not going to target the iPad for lower grades. They will start with the colleges.



    Couple of reasons;

    1 - once the student graduates he/she will want to continue using the device in the business world.

    2 - Most colleges will either offer the device or subsidize the cost to the student.



    You would have to out of your mind to try and work this device into the current elementary grades. That whole area is a complete mess. They need a million other things before they could possible use this type of device.



    The iPad will be a huge success in the colleges. Mark my words.....
  • Reply 47 of 58
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pixelcruncher View Post


    ...



    And the publishers can't wait to give that money back, right?



    What planet are you on that kids from poorer neighborhoods are going to get to carry around iPads? They don't even get cheap laptops at this point. Anyone think a kid in a poor neighborhood walking around with a $500 piece of hardware might be a target? No one wants to take a kid's schoolbook - but an iPad? Well, its your fantasy world, so make up whatever you like.



    ...



    Calm down or blow an artery.



    Maintenance and management costs are not incurred prior to purchase. They are incurred after purchase. They must be borne by the school district and the state. I am claiming that iPads [and competitors] can reduce these costs.



    These kids are not from poor neighborhoods. They are in poor neighborhoods. This is where they live and attend school. Now for the threat of theft. It seems that you are ranting and raving over your own refusal to accept the notion that this is a solvable problem. Children have been issued computers in the past. Did you go ape when children were issued PowerBooks? Do believe that PowerBooks were less inviting targets for theft than iPads?
  • Reply 48 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    No, I think you will find they have subsideries around the world that are subject to local accounting laws.



    They still have to account for it that way in their US filings, because they are registered as a US company, no matter what local laws say.
  • Reply 49 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    [QUOTE=rhyde;1565456]
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by TheShepherd View Post




    ... and you might add that the abuse that leads to worn-out books will quickly destroy those iPads.



    Actually, the result from districts that give kids computers to take home hasn't been too bad. The schools expect a certain failure rate, and lifetime. It costs far more the way they're doing it now, which is to give kids the notebooks to take home for the term, AND supply them with textbooks.



    This will be far cheaper, and allow more kids to take advantage of it.
  • Reply 50 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pixelcruncher View Post


    I had to buy textbooks in high school and college, both public.



    I don't know where you live, but I can assure you that it's VERY unusual to have to buy textbooks in HS. College is different, I specifically mentioned K-6 or 8.



    Find ANY link you can that says close to 100% of schools are on an n network and not abg. ANY, and I won't say you are full of it.



    Here's the latest data I could find:

    "Forty-five percent of public schools with Internet access used wireless connections in 2005"

    http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=46[/quote]



    That's pretty far out of date. Things have been changing over the five years since that was done.



    That article has useful information that shows that the iPad could make a significant difference, looking at the trends. It would certainly hurry up the process of getting WiFi into those schools that don't currently have it.



    http://www.education.com/reference/a...t-use-schools/



    This article shows that wireless adoption is proceeding rapidly, as is that of laptops. You can see some of the numbers. Extrapolating from there is easy.



    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n14938809/



    What can be found on Google is hundreds, or even thousands of schools and districts enumerating their transition to wireless. but no new article that pulls it together other than the ones I linked to.



    Quote:

    Keyboard dock at their desk? Who is going to pay for that? Average spending per student for an ENTIRE YEAR is between $5-7000. A 2008 study showed only 25% of the LARGEST school districts had only ONE grade level supplied with laptops. You're smoking crack if you think the iPad will show up in all but the wealthiest districts.



    A keyboard dock lists for $69. The educational price will be lower, from my experience, a device like that will cost, in quantities of 1,000, about $50.



    You don't know your numbers. They aren't accurate. In most school districts, all children have access to a computer on a regular, though not full time basis. Virtually all schools have at least one, and usually several computer labs. Often there are computer carts with laptops that are rolled into classrooms either with conjunction the labs, or instead of them.



    Is that enough? Of course not. but not every class benefits equally from computers. iPads will allow more computer penetration, and, if you've ever had any experience with computers in schools as I have, you would know that the experience is limited to certain programs and projects.



    i've been involved with the NYC school technology program since my daughter first entered kindergarden, as a technical advisor for the system. I was involved in writing the technology plans for the system, and I still am. I am also involved in teacher training, and planning of technology purchases. NYC keeps close contact with other school districts across the country, and those in Canada, the UK, and other places. We've learned from them, and they've learned from us.



    Quote:

    Keep dreaming guys. My wife works at a school district. They're still running Windows XP and she's working on a computer that's running Windows 98. This in one of the wealthiest counties in Texas.



    Schools don't always have the newest equipment, that's true. But sometimes, that's a very local problem involving individual schools. Schools expect computers to last five years, and upon occasion, even longer, though that's rare, as it is for your wife.



    But wireless is a cheap upgrade, far cheaper that wired, and it's why so many schools have put it in. Rather than upgrade from 10 or 100 MB Ethernet installed over 10 years ago, or even longer, schools have opted for 801.n.



    Quote:

    Try going to a school board meeting and bringing this iPad idea up with budgets where they are right now. They'll laugh you out of the room. If the attempt to get laptops and e-books in the hands of kids today is any indication, you've got about 10 years before even 10-20% of classroom used this technology, and that's not even strictly iPads.



    It's amusing that you say this, because it's those same school boards that are approving Apple and Dell laptops for use in classrooms, AND for taking home.



    Computer usa is expanding in schools, and will continue to do so. how that will happen is the question, but not the fact that it is. The iPad will allow that to be done more cheaply, esp. at the lower grades such as K-12.
  • Reply 51 of 58
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    They still have to account for it that way in their US filings, because they are registered as a US company, no matter what local laws say.



    The parent company may US registered, but the local companies are registered in their respected countries, ie Apple Europe is a european (well Irish) registered company, they follow the local laws. The only reason why they charge the rest of the world the fee is to make some more money off it
  • Reply 52 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    The parent company may US registered, but the local companies are registered in their respected countries, ie Apple Europe is a european (well Irish) registered company, they follow the local laws. The only reason why they charge the rest of the world the fee is to make some more money off it



    It doesn't really matter. You're confusing different things.
  • Reply 53 of 58
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    It doesn't really matter. You're confusing different things.



    No I'm not, you are being very simplistic
  • Reply 54 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    No I'm not, you are being very simplistic



    No, you don't understand the accounting. Apple has to account to the US government for EVERY product it sells, no matter what the law may be somewhere else. These were tax laws that Apple had to obey, no matter what some other government said it had to do, which by the way, they didn't because of that, which helps to prove my point.



    You haven't given a proper explanation for yours.
  • Reply 55 of 58
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    No, you don't understand the accounting. Apple has to account to the US government for EVERY product it sells, no matter what the law may be somewhere else. These were tax laws that Apple had to obey, no matter what some other government said it had to do, which by the way, they didn't because of that, which helps to prove my point.



    You haven't given a proper explanation for yours.



    No, I understand accounting, I don't think you understand that other countries have their own laws. You can believe all you want about why you think they have to charge the fee, but the truth of the matter is, outside of the USA they don't have to charge that fee.
  • Reply 56 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    No, I understand accounting, I don't think you understand that other countries have their own laws. You can believe all you want about why you think they have to charge the fee, but the truth of the matter is, outside of the USA they don't have to charge that fee.



    Yes, I know, that's what you keep claiming. If you were correct, other governments wouldn't allow it, but they do. There are reciprocal agreements between countries and trading regions that involve accounting, taxation, and other matters. You aren't taking this into account.
  • Reply 57 of 58
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Yes, I know, that's what you keep claiming. If you were correct, other governments wouldn't allow it, but they do. There are reciprocal agreements between countries and trading regions that involve accounting, taxation, and other matters. You aren't taking this into account.



    I know what you are trying to claim, but governments won't care what Apple charges for products unless they are breaking local laws, they will take their tax off the purchase as they go. The thing you are missing is Apple doesn't have to charge the fee internationally, they do to get more money.
  • Reply 58 of 58
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    I know what you are trying to claim, but governments won't care what Apple charges for products unless they are breaking local laws, they will take their tax off the purchase as they go. The thing you are missing is Apple doesn't have to charge the fee internationally, they do to get more money.



    We're not going to get together on this, so I'm dropping it.
Sign In or Register to comment.