Sam Oliver
The invitation, as shown by The Loop, features a chalkboard-style drawing outlining the skyline of New York. Front and center in the skyline is the Apple logo, while the tagline for the event confirms that the event will involve an education-related announcement.
The media briefing will take place next Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Guggenheim Museum at 10 a.m. Eastern, 7 a.m. Pacific. Previous rumors suggested Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue will play a part in the demonstration, which will not show off any new hardware like an anticipated third-generation iPad or rumored Apple television.
Instead, the event is expected to focus on enhancements to the iBooks platform with respect to education and digital textbook publishing. Rumors have suggested the event will highlight iTunes U, a free service Apple provides that gives access to educational content, and other education-oriented topics.
Apple launched its iBooks platform in 2010 with the debut of the iPad. Its digital bookstore eventually made its way to the iPhone and iPod touch, but has not yet become available on Mac or PC.
Reports have said Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was personally involved in this new project before he passed away in early October. Jobs even told biographer Walter Isaacson that textbooks were one product he wanted to reinvent, along with photography and televisions.
Attendees at next week's event are expected to be from the world of publishing, and reports have suggested it will be more of an industry-related event than a consumer-oriented product announcement. One report from earlier this month claimed Apple would take the wraps off of new improvements to its iBooks platform at the event, but any announcements have been characterized as not "major."
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67 Comments
"But I don't know what to do with all those eMacs and iPad docks…
They're callin' again…"
So. What's this gonna be about?
I may be wrong . . . but isn't next Wednesday the 18th of January, 2012? I sure hope everyone shows up on the correct day!
I may be wrong . . . but isn't next Wednesday the 18th of January, 2012?
Yeah. It's Thursday. Next Thursday.
Before the iPad came on the market I said that Apple would have to focus on education market right out the gate to really sell the tablet concept work. By that I meant being able to do everything you can do today with textbooks and more. From high quality photos to being able to annotate, bookmark, and take notes right in the textbooks. This mostly later came with iBooks but they still haven't pushed heavily into education markets. I've bought plenty of apps that offer their own take on the textbook. Hopefully Apple has worked out a system that allows for renting textbooks and for getting iBooks on the Mac. I think both are long overdue.
Hopefully Apple has worked out a system that allows for renting textbooks and for getting iBooks on the Mac.
iMessage makes more sense on the Mac than iBooks. The whole point here is to hold the book in your hand. I won't care if iBooks never comes to the Mac, not doing so allows Apple to focus more on making iBooks great as opposed to it being everywhere.