Will Apple create the all-iPad classroom?

San Jose Mercury News

March 4

Apple hopes its foray into digital textbooks for the iPad will impress educators and corner a huge, lucrative K-12 book market. But the high costs of the plan and the challenges of mobile technology could ensure that hardback books remain a classroom mainstay. Will Apple create an all-iPad classroom and realize Steve Jobs’ vision to transform the multibillion-dollar textbook industry? In January, the Cupertino company announced iBook 2, a digital textbook service in partnership with three big publishers that dominate the K-12 market. The electronic books will sell for $14.99…”iBooks re-imagine how we present core materials,” said Deb Bonanno, senior vice president for Pearson, which has a large share of the U.S. textbook market and is one of Apple’s partners. With the interactive iBooks, students can view objects in three dimensions, individualize lessons and view related videos.

http://www.mercurynews.com/education/ci_20099854