Sam OliverCiting people familiar with the negotiations, BusinessWeek said that McGraw Hill officials are currently discussing how their software developers and Apple's can collaborate to create dynamic e-books. One source was quoted as saying the talks are just as focused on marketing as they are on software development.
The negotiations with McGraw Hill are seen as an attempt by Apple to keep a prominent role in the U.S. education system. BusinessWeek cited research firm Gartner, which claims Apple held 28.3 percent of the U.S. educational market in the third quarter of 2009. While the institutional market struggled last year, Apple spent $390,000 in one quarter alone, partially to support funding for education.
Word of McGraw Hill's alleged negotiations first surfaced last September. The company has reportedly been in talks with Apple about the tablet for the last year, but this week's report would suggest those discussions are still ongoing.
In fact, recent reports have claimed a number of last-minute deals are being discussed. Thursday, it was said that U.S. wireless carriers Verizon and AT&T are having discussions with Apple about providing 3G connectivity for the tablet.
In addition, it was alleged earlier this week that a consortium of key book publishers are participating in "secret" negotiations with Apple. It was said that "most likely all" of the six largest trade publishers in the U.S. are in talks to bring content to the unannounced device.
Also said to be engaged in discussion was publisher HarperCollins. The company may offer enhanced e-books that include video, author interviews and social networking applications. The releases would likely cost more than the standard $9.99 for current e-books.
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
Andrew O'Hara
32 Comments
The company may offer enhanced e-books that include video, author interviews and social networking applications. The releases would likely cost more than the standard $9.99 for current e-books.
Says who?
If this is true. This will be big.
If this is true. This will be big.
Best response yet I lol'd IRL.
Anything is possible, but I know that I WILL not be using a tablet to read anything, unless of course, Apple makes it mandatory that ALL print matter, not be "Print Matter", but ablet matter.
Folks you call roll-up a magazine, newspaper and put it into your pocket.
Newspaper makes a great base for the bird cage.
Newspapers is great in the woods, for toilet paper.
Paper is good for shipping shirt.
I for one, wonder how the folks who build "Bookcases" are feeling about this new toy from Apple.
I guess with real estate getting harder to come by (somewhere, not here), ablets might be a great way to shrink libraries down in size.
It's a safe bet, no one will be leaving the wall street journal behind on airplanes anymore. And what about magazine racks, and all those vendors on the streets of NY selling newspapers, books, and such. they must be getting ready for a Class Action lawsuit against Apple.
The way the ablet is going to go, is to replace BIG, bulky desktop units, but with a ton of new features making it more practical to consider over a desktop or laptop unit.
A lot of folks are doing the audio book thing, because they get to do two things at once, cook while they listen, sew, knit, quilt, drive while listening. Going back to having to read a book, magazine, newspaper doesn't make to much sense to me, but hey, that's just me
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