Apple's NYC event rumored to deliver academic enhancements to iBooks platform
Apple's anticipated media event laster this month in New York City will focus on iTunes U, education and digital textbook publishing, a new rumor claims.
Journalist Clayton Morris of Fox News wrote on his personal blog on Tuesday that Apple will in fact deliver a presentation to the media in New York later this month. The location was allegedly chosen because it is "more centrally located for textbook and publishing."
He said the event was originally scheduled for late fall of 2011, but it was postponed. The press conference will reportedly focus on iTunes U, a free service Apple provides that gives access to educational content, and other education-oriented topics.
Morris's claims are followed by a report that came on Monday that stated Apple planned to make some industry-related announcements for publishers about the iBookstore platform, currently available on iOS devices. Word of the late-January event was first publicized by All Things D, which said the event will not feature any new hardware like an anticipated third-generation iPad or Apple television.
Morris has now added to those rumors with his own details, and he said the event will feature "a big announcement in a demure space." He expects "at least two large project announcements as they relate to Apple in education."
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was said to have been personally involved in this project before he passed away in early October. Jobs even told biographer Walter Isaacson that textbooks were one product he wanted to reinvent, along with photography and televisions.
While his latest information does corroborate with other recent reports, Morris has a spotty track record with respect to Apple rumors. Two years ago, he incorrectly claimed that Apple would show off iOS 4 and iLife 2010 at a January media event in California.
Morris's sources were also wrong in claiming that Apple would release two versions of the first-generation iPad: one with CDMA support, and one with GSM, to offer compatibility with both Verizon and AT&T 3G networks in the U.S.
Comments
Apple can start by making it possible to read iBooks content on the computer - either through iTunes, a new iBooks application for Mac and PC, or by supporting epub files in Preview.
Definitely, since to develop an enhanced iBook you need to test it and having to transfer it to an iOS device over and over is not a practical work flow. Given that there are no really ideal applications for developing an enhanced ePub document, hand coding is the only way to actually fine tune it. It is very similar to building web pages. You can use inDesign to build ePubs much like you would use Dreamweaver to build web pages, but to get it right you have to do the entire thing by hand.
There does need to be a lot more textbooks available on the iBookstore. I would rather support the iBookstore than the Kindle Store when buying my books for college.
My guess: The announcement will be a particular textbook publisher and probably one or two school systems or university programs are going to switch from print to to iBooks in 2012.
Switching to iBooks would be difficult for an entire university to do at one time unless there are several publishers on board from the beginning, but I could see something like a law school, nursing school, etc., making the switch.
Apple (you would think) would also have to announce some kind of arrangement Ad wise with the Networks.
The Book sort of let a little secret out of the bag a little bit early.
Google will do whatever necesarry to put out their own TV branded device, and they will not care very much whether they have anybodies blessing to put out whatever content they please.
They won't mind going thru the courts, (as slow as they move it could go into the next decade to put a stop to anything).
or by supporting epub files in Preview.
You need Calibre. http://calibre-ebook.com/
I wonder if it reads iTunes DRMd ePubs - haven't tried yet but will now!
I wonder if it reads iTunes DRMd ePub
It doesn't, or so they say.
The idea that his last days were spent focusing on a 'brains off' television interface is ridiculous.
It's also likely that the $299. price point being thrown around today is an education-only thing.
Switching to iBooks would be difficult for an entire university to do at one time unless there are several publishers on board from the beginning, but I could see something like a law school, nursing school, etc., making the switch.
True, but a University could announce that all its textbooks must be delivered electronically by 2015, or something along those lines.
I wonder if Apple has considered adding Laurene Powell to the Board of Directors to oversee and grow their educational activities including iTunesU? Check out Laurene's background and expertise in Wikipedia.
The board does not oversee products - either design, development or manufacturing. If she were interested and they thought her qualified, she could be an employee or a consultant.
Apple's anticipated media event later this month in New York City will focus on iTunes U, education and digital textbook publishing, a new rumor claims.
Electronic publishing is something that could use more publicity to get the masses to switch over but an event about books will probably be their dullest event yet - I give Phil permission to use that as their marketing slogan.