Apple officially unveiled its entrance into textbooks with the new “iBooks 2” app and “iBooks Author” e-book authoring tool. If you are wondering just how much the textbooks are going to cost you, Apple announced that initially high school textbooks through partners Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will be available through the new iBookstore textbooks category for $14.99 or less. Compare that figure to textbooks from publishers like McGraw Hill that can sell for as high as $75. Apple noted that the three partners announced today currently produce 90 percent of the textbooks available.
In terms of what will be available starting today, McGraw Hill released the following books currently used by over 3 million students worldwide: “Algebra 1,” “Biology,” “Chemistry,” “Geometry,” and “Physics.” Pearson will release “Algebra 1,” “Biology,” “Environmental Science,” and “Geometry” (only two available today), with math books to be released in the future. Pearson’s books are currently used by an estimated 4 millions students worldwide.
Apart from the three major textbook publishers, Apple will work with DK Publishing who is releasing four new books aimed at younger children on the iBookstore today. Those include: “Dinosaurs and Prehistoric life,” “Natural History Insects,” “Natural History Animals,” and “My First ABC.”
Check out our full coverage of Apple’s education event and additional assets:
ARTICLE – Liveblog: Apple’s education-focuse media event in NYC
ARTICLE – Update on business metrics from Apple’s education event
ARTICLE – Apple releases iBooks 2, a brand new textbook experience for iPad
ARTICLE – Apple to price new iBook textbooks at $14.99 or less
ARTICLE – Apple announces iBooks Author, free Mac app for authoring textbooks
ARTICLE – Apple launches iTunes U, free iOS app for educators to take courses anywhere
ARTICLE – Apple releases iTunes 10.5.3 with support for textbook syncing to iPad
ARTICLE – Heartwarming clip of teachers and students Apple played at the presser
ARTICLE – An overview of publishing and distribution for iBooks Author
VIDEO – Gallery of elements that can be used for interactive iBooks
VIDEO – The iBooks Textbooks promo
PR – Apple reinvents textbooks with iBooks 2 for iPad
PR – Apple unveils all-new iTunes U app for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch
SUPPORT – iBooks Author: Best practices for using 3D models
SUPPORT – iBooks Author: Use iPad-safe fonts when authoring books
SUPPORT – iBooks Author – How to make your iBooks accessible
SUPPORT – iBooks Author – Add video to your iBooks
SUPPORT – iBooks Author – Publishing and distribution FAQ
CHANGELOG – iTunes 10.5.3 for Mac
CHANGELOG – iTunes 10.5.3 for Windows (64 bit)
APP STORE – iBooks Textbooks section in iTunes
APP STORE – iTunes U for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
APP STORE – iBooks 2 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
APP STORE – iBooks Author for Mac
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