Apple takes textbooks interactive with iBooks 2

Isn't this Apple playing catchup?

"The free iBooks 2 app, which Schiller said was available from the App Store now, will let publishers include interactive animations and videos."

The new ePUB 3 standard uses HTML 5, wherein a lot of these "new" features are derived. The new Kindle format, KF8, does much the same. I don't recall "PC" Pro doing a story about THAT.

InDesign already lets you add audio and video to ePUBs.

As for being searchable, welcome to 5 years ago Apple!

Another apple PR puff-piece reprinted verbatim in "PC" Pro.

By Lacrobat on 20 Jan 2012

Missing the point

iBooks the app has already been out since the iPad was introduced. What's new here is the ability to annotate, highlight and buy the text books for less than $14.95. Scoff if that makes your day, but if you're a teacher you'll find lesson plans just got a whole lot more interesting.

By SwissMac on 20 Jan 2012

@SwissMac

Yes, we will scoff, because none of that is 'new' (except on the precious iPad), and
"high school editions would start from $14.99" is not less than $14.95.

I'm not a teacher, I just support 50 of them in their use of IT. When iPads become proper multi-user, centrally managed devices (i.e. it doesn't matter which one a pupil picks up each day - their 'work' will be stored), we might consider them.

By alynsparkes on 20 Jan 2012

Actually the story is wrong

Textbooks will be aggressively priced at $14.95 or less according to the keynote I watched last night so @swissmac is right and this story is wrong. Also if you bother to actually watch the keynote you'll realise that it's the way that apple has produced the tools, apps and infrastructure for free to everyone which is what is new. It's a brilliant initiative that other platforms haven't attempted

By TimoGunt on 20 Jan 2012

Actually Timo you're 'wrong'

"it's the way that apple has produced the tools, apps and infrastructure for free to everyone which is what is new. It's a brilliant initiative that other platforms haven't attempted "

The word 'free' in this context needs some clarification. Apple is running this as part of its closed, proprietory money machine.

The cost of entry is the purchase of Apple hardware, the cost of participation is the 30% 'Apple Tax' on Apps and content downloaded via iTunes (or iBrains, or whatever).

This is (yet another) crass commercial Apple manouvre masquerading as something warm & cuddly. Steve is dead, long live the Reality Distortion Field!

The scam appears to be their usual.
1. Screw the app developers, content providers and creators,
2. Lock the customers into their system,
3. Get lots of plaudits from gullible journos for 'innovation' that consists merely in repackaging other people's ideas.
4. Sit back and count the money from hardware & services

By wittgenfrog on 20 Jan 2012

I disagree my statement was wrong

No I don't think you'll find I'm wrong. It clearly was '$14.95 or less' which you claimed it wasn't and the tools are 'free' for those on Apple hardware and software. When Microsoft claim their tools are 'free' then it's only free to those running the Windows OS. It's the same principle

By TimoGunt on 20 Jan 2012

Sorry @wittgenfrog it wasn't your claim. I apologise for that. I stand by my free claim though. Microsoft released free Security Essentials a couple of years ago. Well it wasn't free for the Apple users was it? They didn't get a version.

How is it screw the app developers? Microsoft do the same thing. How is it screw the content providers. They've just been given a free Mac app that lets you create stunning ebooks with animations, movies, diagrams etc. that cuts their time by a tenth plus they've been given a high profile place to sell them so they don't have to promote their own website and handle all the costs of having that.

By TimoGunt on 20 Jan 2012

@TimoGunt

My use of 'screw' refers to the fact that unlike Windows or indeed other e-book systems, Apple's will be entirely closed.

You will only be able to use it on Apple hardware, you'll only be able to sell content via Apple's store, Apple will take 30% of each transaction. Youll only be able to develop on Apple's tools.

That means you're 'screwed' if the fruity one isn't your preferred supplier....

I know MS wants to get in on this closed 'ecology' stuff with its own store, but as MS isn't a hardware maker no lockin... As far as I know though only Metro Apps will get the 'BUY THROUGH US' treatment. Other apps & content available elsewhere.

By wittgenfrog on 20 Jan 2012

yep true. Of course they want to lock you in. It's a very good system if you can afford to be locked in though because everything is so easy to find and do. They may do what they did with iTunes in the future and remove DRM from the music so it's available on other devices.
Apple lets you download Mac Apps from other places as well as their store the same as the Microsoft Store will allow you to. They're not that different from each other.
You have less freedom with Apple I agree but it's just so much more enjoyable.

Once again I can only develop Microsoft apps on Windows machines. I can't seem to get Visual Studio running on Linux or Mac. The difference really is that you'd rather give Samsung money for the computer and then Microsoft money for the OS.

By TimoGunt on 20 Jan 2012

Bloater Books!

"Two chapters of Life on Earth consumes almost 1GB..."

Why so much? That seems like a huge amount - even with (some) colour pictures, video clips, sound and the like.

By halian on 20 Jan 2012

Missing the point

Microsoft are not the issue here, so 'look, look at them' is not relevant.

Apple releasing an app that can create e-book is great, no problem.
The app only runs on Apple hardware/software - fine, up to them, again no worries.

Problem here is that the produced e-book also only runs on Apple hardware/software. If they'd allow the file to be opened on other platforms, in a similar way that (for example) .pdf file can, then that would be lovely. However, they don't - more lock-in.

You want to compare to MS? OK, imaging if MS brought out a version of Office tomorrow that produced documents that only opened in Windows systems? How about if MS brought out a web-authoring app that produced webpages only visible in Internet Explorer 9 and then set out a press release proclaiming how wonderful & full of new & exiting (HTML 5) tools it could use?

No, sorry - This is a load of iPhluff.

By greemble on 20 Jan 2012

Do people think before they speak?

Seriously. All those who complains about Apple, have they ever thought that they are a profit making company and they exist to mainly make money (and as it happens really loved products as well). They are one of the very few companies that make huge changes in current and new markets. if they bring a new/updated way to make studying more interesting then that's great and it will not hurt to profit from it, that's how they can afford to try to reinvet the market. to the people who said that they will take 30% then in return they offer a great market and millions of users and hence content publishers/app developers make lots more than if they done the marketing and distribution themselves.

and finally PCPRO can you please either get someone else to report apple news or ask Nicole to do her research properly. as shown in the case of the book prices and previous articles where she didn't sound like she knew the full details.

Many Thanks

By Logical on 20 Jan 2012

And as a teacher...

...this is quite meaningless

There is no way we will be buying 8/900+ iPads for the kids (no doubt having to buy at least half of them again within 2 months as they get 'lost'), just so they can read text books (web pages?) at around £15 each.

By greemble on 20 Jan 2012

People are forgetting the Publishers and Booksellers 30% "Tax"

Gosh, I wish I lived in the same world some of you did where facts are to be avoided and you're happy to continue believing ten year old propaganda from the MS crowd (who may include you).

Apple tax? How much do you think booksellers charge? 30% is the going rate if not more for science and specialist text books. School Science text books in real life according to McGraw Hill cost about $75 each for the category they were describing, and are so expensive they are only bought once every five years. That means 80% of the kids using those books will be using out of date books.

With Apple's solution, kids always get the most up to date books, the publishers don't lose any money, and Apple replaces the book distributor with the same selling cost of 30%.

The teachers, meanwhile, get to create their own books, kids get to create their own revision cards, notes and highlights, and everyone wins.

By SwissMac on 20 Jan 2012

everyone wins - only with Apple's permission

Firstly, school text books do not cost £75 each. Secondly, a 5 year old text book is not 'out of date' With the obvious exception of ICT/CompSci (in which we don't use books), very few subject change that much

Finally, I direct you to the EULA for the iBooks Author program.
Note section 2B. Distribution of your Work.


Apple decide if you can sell your book.
If they don't select it for distribution, you cannot legally take it anywhere else, either.

By greemble on 20 Jan 2012

Cogito ergo Sum

@Logical
I do indeed think before I speak, as do many other critics of this particular move by Apple.

There are standards for e-publishing, but Apple decided to create their own proprietary one instead of seeking to 'upgrade' these standards. The usual Cupertino 'Not Invented Here' applies. This is at the core of my objection.

They are not serious about providing a genuine resource for educators. Instead they have opted for a new profit stream for themselves.
The Reality Distortion Field kicks in and this pointless modification to an existing standard is suddenly not a blatant attempt to lock in a market, but some kind of innovation.

On a more general note it does not bode well for Apple AS (After Steve). Despite the RDF this move has not been well received, in the way that their recent iProducts have been. Perhaps the patent self-interest is too obvious without Jobs around to do the PR.

By wittgenfrog on 21 Jan 2012

Patent self-interest

What? Don't tell me Apple have a patent on that too?

Sorry - Just couldn't resist...

By greemble on 21 Jan 2012

.. and where can I download iBooks Author 2?

Just ried a search and there is no sign of it...? MW

By martinw1nlow on 21 Jan 2012

Don't blame Apple for copying Microsoft...

@wittgenfrog, your accusation "There are standards for e-publishing, but Apple decided to create their own proprietary one instead of seeking to 'upgrade' these standards." Sounds strange you complaining about this since this is just what Microsoft have done for years. Just look at how standards compliant Internet Explorer has been in the past, despite MS sitting on the Standards setting bodies. They saw which way the standards were going, and then went off on their own so as to tie people into the Windows hegemony. Since they still hold 90% marketshare they were pretty successful at this locking-in to a single system. Apple is using the HTML5 based ePub 3 standard with some extras Apple added themselves. That's exactly what Microsoft would have done if they weren't busy colouring in squares with their crayons.

As for "They are not serious about providing a genuine resource for educators. Instead they have opted for a new profit stream for themselves" they won't make any profits if educators don't use it; it will only be successful if it's useful and does what educators want. Unlike those using Microsoft, Apple users choose to buy from Apple because they know they'll get ease of use and low maintenance issues. For you guys who love poking around the insides of a PC, you keep on doing it. But most people don't buy a computer to do that.

@greemble nobody mentioned £75 - where'd you get that from? As for not taking your book anywhere else, that's absolute nonsense. Of course you can, you'l just have to transfer the text and media to the program provided for the Amazon Kindle; it's the author's copyright.

By SwissMac on 22 Jan 2012

nobody mentioned £75?

That nobody was you, SwissMac.

Read the T&Cs. You cannot publish elsewhere, unless it's for free.

As for what MS have done/would do - irrelevant.
It's what Apple are doing that's under discussion here.

By greemble on 22 Jan 2012

@greemble

+1

The fact that Stalin was a tyrant didn't absolve Adolf....

By wittgenfrog on 23 Jan 2012

greemble, learn about copyright law

Apple does not own your copyright, the words you wrote can be transferred into a text editor and sent to any publisher to be printed as a book. It is only the completed work the Apple system creates for you that is restricted, not the information contained within it. In other words, you cannot take Apple's added value elsewhere.

By SwissMac on 23 Jan 2012

SwissMac, Learn to read

Clearly you've still not read the T&Cs, but that's hardly surprising as you don't even read your own posts.

By greemble on 23 Jan 2012

@greemble

"You can also export your book as a PDF file, which can be viewed or printed using Preview, Adobe Reader, or any PDF reader application. Hyperlinks work in the PDF, but other interactive media (widgets), such as movies and 3D objects, might not work as expected.

You can also export only the text from your book."
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2809

Part of the process of writing a book involves putting the text down in a Word Processor eg Word or Pages. This text is not controlled by the SLA. It is only a complete work that is referred to:

"If you charge a fee for any book or other work you generate using this software (a “Work”), you may only sell or distribute such Work through Apple (e.g., through the iBookstore) and such distribution will be subject to a separate agreement with Apple."

The restriction is not on the knowledge, it is on the use of the software. If you use the software, the end product as a finished eBook is to be sold through the iBookstore, not through Kindle. Write your own version for Kindle with their software. They use a proprietary format too.

How is this different from a publisher tying in an author to publish six books with them and providing the author with a free computer to write the stories on?

By SwissMac on 24 Jan 2012

Free computer?

As if...

Even then, if a publisher was to do so, you'd have a contract & likely an advance payment too. Plus, should a publisher provide a free computer (this happens, does it?), they will have undertaken to publish the works of that author.

I see you've not noticed the reciprocal way they define a book or other work as a 'Work'. However, we'll allow such sloppy lawyering to pass for now.

So, once you've spent all your time creating a masterpiece, with interactive 3D objects & illustrative movies/animations - Apple then decide to not select you work, what then?
You either give it away for free, or are required to take it apart - completely - and rebuild it using some other application in another format...

Here, it's more like Microsoft saying 'if you use Word & export in a .doc format, we decide IF you may publish'

Sorry SwissMac, but even with your selective quotations, how can you possibly justify this kind of tie-in?

By greemble on 24 Jan 2012

Nice trolling greemble

Hmm, since you can't tell the difference between Pounds and Dollars in the average cost of a text book it's hardly surprising you get most other things wrong too.

You're obviously very clever if you can get an interactive video to work on a paper page in a physical book! lol!

As for Microsoft Office, if you have the Home and Student edition it does restrict your work to non-commercial uses. Similarly, if you buy a reduced price version because of your employer's multi-seat licence arrangement with MS, the Microsoft EULA says you must buy a new and full licence, meaning any use of the program is illegal.

I agree it would be nice to have a piece of software that could create electronic books in any format, but nobody does. Nobody. And Adobe's In Design doesn't do a good job either.

And yes, publishers will give away free computers if they are in competition with a rival for a particular author. Also free cars, rented houses in the sun, all sorts of inducements. Or just cash. Don't you pay attention to the world?

By SwissMac on 24 Jan 2012

Obviously I meant your reduced rice MS Office multiseat licences end when you leave the employ of your large enterprise level employer eg NHS. If you continue to use your £8 version of Office after that you can be prosecuted.

By SwissMac on 24 Jan 2012

Ducking the point - again

Here's the point: no restriction on the file format, so why risk making it with Apple's software?
Might as well make a web site to start with as that's all these iBooks are really. The 'text book' can then be shared with anyone in the school & sold on to others without the worry.

No, you cannot get interactive video to work on paper, so there's not a lot of point in spending time making an iBook in the hope Apple is kind enough to select it for inclusion, because if they didn't, all that time would be wasted. However if I was to create a book in Writer or Impress in the first place, it can be exported to another application without any difficulty.
For that matter, I could make the book as a .doc or .ppt file using OpenOffice & then sell it where ever.

As a teacher, I'd be using the Academic version, as would any student who wishes to buy it. There is no non-commercial restriction on this, even after the user has left the educational system.
Before you whine that 'not everyone can get that', you've already stated that Apple's iBook would be good for teachers...
Besides, prosecuted for continuing to use a multi-seat licence? No, can't see that happening - Sued, maybe, but I cannot see the CPS being very interested. However, not too sure if anyone in the UK has been taken to court over T&Cs as yet, so that remains to be put to the test.

And for the Publishers locking an author in with advances - again, you seem to miss the point that that author will be paid. In fact with the advance, has been part-paid, whereas Apple make no such offer.

As for your cheap dollar/pound jibe, it's still way off the mark for a school text book.

By greemble on 25 Jan 2012

Hoist by your own petard

"However, not too sure if anyone in the UK has been taken to court over T&Cs as yet, so that remains to be put to the test."
So what you whining about the Apple T&Cs for?

iBooks are really just websites? That's all any ePub eBook is - have you only just figured that out? lol!

As for getting paid by a publisher, Apple gives away the software in exchange for which people agree to the conditions of receiving it. Legally, that constitutes a contract. Now, you might think that insufficient payment, but you don't HAVE to use the software do you? After all, as you said these things are just websites so why all the fuss?!

You really are a grumpy so and so greemble, are you sure teaching is the right job for you? I don't think I've ever seen you play nicely on this website.

By SwissMac on 25 Jan 2012

As for textbook prices, I went to the McGraw-Hill education website (mheonline.com), secondary level yrs 10-12, first book I looked at Chemistry: Matter and Change 2013 ed - Student Edition, $83.97 (Teacher Edition $99.99).

But maybe your school doesn't use real textbooks...

By SwissMac on 25 Jan 2012

Cheap, personal insults from SwissMac.

Cannot refute the facts? Attack the person instead, Right?

Now, if you would actually address the points made.
"if you're a teacher you'll find lesson plans just got a whole lot more interesting"
Clearly, it's not. Glad you finally realise this
. No, I've not 'just realised' it's a web site, that's one of the points being made - it's an HTML 5 file that Apple are pretending they've invented and then trying to excessively restrict what the author can do with it.

If iBooks only worked on Apples products, that's one thing - They don't have to make it cross-platform.
For Apple to decide if a user's work can be sold in their own iTunes store, that's their prerogative, too.
Too decide the product cannot be sold elsewhere: that's a step too far. I notice you still have not found a way to justify this position.
- Pointing at Microsoft is distraction, irrelevant and still not a justification for including such restrictive terms - or are you now suggesting that they don't really mean it as the T&Cs can be ignored?

However, I'm sure you are quite happy about Apple deciding what you can do with 'their' equipment - and actually believe it's a good thing.


Textbook prices - Wrong again, but I wouldn't expect you to know the difference between a 'Textbook' and a 'Programme of Study'.
No, they are not the same things.

By greemble on 25 Jan 2012