Apple announces new digital publishing tool: iBooks Author

i dont know. do we need yet ANOTHER avenue for unsubstantiated information from dubious sources foisted upon a gullible audience?

and it seems that we are whole-heartedly embracing ADD-type behavior rather than forcing people to just shut the hell up, sit down and pay attention.

i seem to recall millions of people learning and achieving great things with books and actually PAYING ATTENTION. it didnt have to be "compelling"

my disinterest and distrust of this is pretty much summed up in a quote from this video:
"its all automatically organized for you, so you just dont have to think about it"

Game changer if you ask me.

my disinterest and distrust of this is pretty much summed up in a quote from this video:
"its all automatically organized for you, so you just dont have to think about it"

That's the line that summed it for you, wgzn? Because I felt like the announcer was talking directly to you when he said "there's no reason for students to use the same tools they used in the 1950s."

:-)

Go get 'em Art.

I've got your back.

:)

Then again...

Maybe some are feeling a bit threatened because it's now possible, and becoming more practical due to innovative technology such as this, for ANYONE to drag-and-drop copy, images, video, etc. and have a fantastic-looking presentation.

What will ever become of us?

All things are so easy when using mac or PC
My opinion is that Linux is better than Mac or windows because it is free
and it dont need virus-protection

This is really Apple at it's best: Dragging people kicking and screaming towards the future. Regardless whether or not people want Apple to develop this, we'll need this for the future. It's incredibly true that books are out-dated just years after being printed, heavy, costly (not only to us, but the environment), occupy a lot of space and can't be easily "deleted" when you're done with it. This system won't be perfect either but I think it's a bit of a step towards something a bit "better" than what we have.

The sole coolest feature this type of technology has is combining videos, audio and extended information into a book that a book has never had before. Does a student not understand a word? Need to find even more information the digital copy doesn't have? They could search for it immediately without having to wander to a library or somewhere else to find out. This helps increase productivity (don't mention obesity because if the person chooses to get fat because they hate activity, that's their issue- not the idea behind the technology).

As sad as possibly losing our libraries (or the idea we currently hold of one) is, it's truly holding us back. Our species has clung onto comfort items/ technologies long enough which sadly has held us back from innovation. People are constantly rejecting new ideas and technology because they're foreign and awkward. It's inherent to humanity that we prefer comfort but comfort has never been a partner of progress.

I can see this being some what of a time waster for those whom would rather open a game on their iPad rather than their books but I personally think those who would rather do that, probably found other ways to jerk around in class with books. I'm sure the first week or so everyone will do it, or when the instructor is being particularly boring but this may be an eye opener for instructors to actually want to make learning fun to keep the attention of more students. Very few instructors seem to want to dive outside of the box (ie. poorly designed slides, chalk and board + books) and actually attempt to entertain and relate what they're teaching to their pupils.

Zune-Books will crush this .....