Apple Making Education More Affordable Via 'Big 3' Publishing Partnership

[Michael Essany]

Parents, educators, students, and tech news junkies are all weighing in on Apple's major announcement today.

In case you missed it (and if you did, you can check out MMi's coverage here), Apple unveiled a new new digital textbook program that is going make learning every bit as affordable, cutting edge and interactive as technology presently allows.

At the heart of Apple's digital textbooks revelation today is the Cupertino tech giant's partnership with the three biggest traditional textbook publishers in the world: Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

McGraw-Hill, in particular, has come into focus following today's announcement. The publisher, which typically sells high school textbooks for upwards of $75 a piece, is on the Apple bandwagon and will now sell many the same books for $14.99 or less in electronic format.

According to McGraw-Hill CEO Terry McGraw, the new digital publishing effort will still be profitable, assuming that the volume of sales is strong.

Normally, McGraw-Hill would sell its books directly to public schools, which would keep the texts for an average of five years. Under Apple’s new textbooks plan, though, McGraw-Hill will try something different: It will sell its books directly to each student (the student could either pay out of pocket, or the school could fund the purchase via a voucher/code), who will use the book for a year, then move on.

Per the details outlined in the new program, students can keep their purchased ebooks indefinitely, but they can't resell or lend them. McGraw-Hill is counting on new sets of students buying the books every school year. In addition to students gaining from the fact that digital textbooks will always be up to date, the publishers are now spared the once labor and cost intensive practices of physically publishing all of their textbooks.

McGraw expects over the next five years to "generate the same total sales selling $15 e-books as he would selling $75 books."

Source: All Things Digital

[redstar299]

Good I never understood the justification for $200 textbook then next year they update one page and U can't even sell them cause their obsolete

[thetoothfairy]

I wonder how they will stop students from reselling them or lending them out?

[Feanor64]

if a teacher teaches they dont need an ipad the ppl who taught einstein or edision or mlk they didnt have a ipad the ppl who taught steve jobs didnt have a ipad are u kidding me ipads arent gonna make students smarter and these companies arent gonna lose money if u think they are cmon u gotta be smarter than that im sure their stockholders will be happy to hear that

[kddo14]

I wonder how they will stop students from reselling them or lending them out?

drm?

[feidhlim1986]

I wonder how they will stop students from reselling them or lending them out?

You probably won't be able to. Thats the price of digital content.
I'd imagine many tech savvy students will "acquire" their textbooks for free.

if a teacher teaches they dont need an ipad the ppl who taught einstein or edision or mlk they didnt have a ipad the ppl who taught steve jobs didnt have a ipad are u kidding me ipads arent gonna make students smarter and these companies arent gonna lose money if u think they are cmon u gotta be smarter than that im sure their stockholders will be happy to hear that

They taught with books. Now the books are in digital format. That's the difference. No one is saying reading from an iPad will make you smarter. Your comments could do with a little education though.

[UndecidedApollo]

if a teacher teaches they dont need an ipad the ppl who taught einstein or edision or mlk they didnt have a ipad the ppl who taught steve jobs didnt have a ipad are u kidding me ipads arent gonna make students smarter and these companies arent gonna lose money if u think they are cmon u gotta be smarter than that im sure their stockholders will be happy to hear that

Well obviously when you went to school they didn't teach English.

[Banks4004]

i need this right now. i cant afford $400 in text books every effing semester

[iLoveWindows&iPhone]

Only high school books? What about college? Any info on that?

[mrwalleyeman]

It more cost effective to put the books in digital format then it is on paper. It probably has something to do with being greener. Just because the book is on an iPad isn't going to make one smarter just more being green. Apple I think is being a part of the conservation side of things.

[jose060789]

If they support college text books then I will buy an iPad 3 in a heart beat when it comes out. No more $200 text books when I can simply use an iPad for $300 more and continue using it paying cheaper for text books

[sziklassy]

i need this right now. i cant afford $400 in text books every effing semester

Unfortunately a lot of the collegiate level publications/publishers will likely opt out. They are making a lot more than $10 off of forcing thousands of students to purchase their books year after year.

If they support college text books then I will buy an iPad 3 in a heart beat when it comes out. No more $200 text books when I can simply use an iPad for $300 more and continue using it paying cheaper for text books

They won't. Not for $15 a book.

[tayman]

What about kids that have families that cant afford a $15 textbook, let along a $500 iPad.

[iLoveWindows&iPhone]

What about kids that have families that cant afford a $15 textbook, let along a $500 iPad.

I could be wrong...but does it say anywhere that this is ONLY available for the iPad? I would imagine it would be accessible through iTunes, which would include all iDevices, laptops, PCs, etc.

[smuggler]

if a teacher teaches they dont need an ipad the ppl who taught einstein or edision or mlk they didnt have a ipad the ppl who taught steve jobs didnt have a ipad are u kidding me ipads arent gonna make students smarter and these companies arent gonna lose money if u think they are cmon u gotta be smarter than that im sure their stockholders will be happy to hear that

Whoever said anything ab people being smarter cause they're learning on a digital device, out of all things you need some education in the English language, it's an iPad, not a iPad

[Maverick00]

Not a big environmentalist at all, but I think if McGraw is going to start selling individual books, I think they should also have an efficient recycling program as well. After all, if the student just has an old textbook that s/he can't (legally) sell, the student should have an option at the end of the year to return the book at either no price, or maybe even give a rebate for giving back the book, like say $5 at max?

I'm not an environmentalist, but the last thing I want to hear over the news in a couple years is a landfill filled with used books that could have been recycled...

Anyway, I'm excited to get my hands on an iPad in the near future and start getting college textbooks for the iPad... Currently, I try and use an online edition for some books in my classes, but it's not nearly as simple to use since it involves using passwords and key code and nit picky URL's that makes it more of a hassle to use than just using a regular hardcover textbook.

I believe that while learning, it does help a lot more to write down notes as opposed to typing them on a computer, but the idea of being in college and having to tote books that can weigh up to 8lbs for a single book can become a real shoulder pain, real quick.

But besides the point, while some people think this is another stride in Apple's takeover path, from the looks of it, at the end of the day it's at least a step for academics and education

[AKCHRIS]

I think it's a GREAT idea. I mean why spend $100-$500 on Book and then only get HALF of that money spent back when ya turn them in. it the Long haul u can always get a 1st Gen iPad cause iOS5 WILL work on it..and u CAN get this for BOTH iPads..so quit gripping bout the cost of it..besides..i would even THINK about having one of these in high school cause you know how SOME kids are..steal them or Whoop someone's Booty for it.

[Jammole]

College books in the near future?

[Brian3dee]

Apple runs an education discount, though I do not know the details of how it works, I do know they offer the product lines, Macs, Laptops, iDevices, to students and educators at a discount. I doubt they will offer a discount on the digital text books, but I'm sure they would offer a discount for the student or teacher buying that iPad.

On a side note, if the rumor about a cheaper iPad2 being launched along side the iPad3 is true, then even better for students and teachers with limited budgets.