Several textbook publishers have secured deals to have their books digitally converted for devices like Apple’s iPad. ScrollMotion, Inc., has inked a deal with several publishers to develop textbooks, test-prep reading materials, and study guides for digital devices.
Scroll Motion, which has already developed iPhone apps, will likely adapt the books to include a search function, dictionaries, glossaries, and quizzes. Companies involved in the project include McGraw-Hill Cos., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K-12, Pearson Education, and Kaplan, Inc., major publishers of educational materials. I recognize more than a few of those names from my days of buying overpriced books from my college bookstore.
The deal has obvious promises for a new style of education. Though college students have yet to fully embrace e-textbooks, analysts believe that portable devices could change that. It’s much easier to read on a fast-loading tablet you already own than to carry a laptop every time you need to read a new chapter between classes. The iPad could even deliver the ability to integrate and link multimedia content to text.
Anyone who has been on a college campus in the past 4 years knows that Apple products are commonplace. More education-focused content on the iPad could lead to even further Applemania.
Read [Wall Street Journal]
I'm ready to buy a iPad for reading textbooks.