Everything iPad

Textbook content was a relatively quiet announcement back at the iPad launch last week, but it seems to be a key drive in Apple’s ebook strategy.  According to the WSJ, software company ScrollMotion Inc. have been enlisted by various publishers – including McGraw-Hill Cos. and Pearson Education – to create iBooks-friendly digital versions of their textbook lines.

Other publishers known to be involved include Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K-12, Pearson Education and Kaplan Inc.  ScrollMotion’s general approach is to take basic digital files and add in search functionality, dictionaries, glossaries, interactive quizzes and page numbers; however the iPad will also support embedded video and audio recordings, which some publishers may take advantage of.

Analysts are wary of the potential for the iPad to break into schools and other education establishments, though the $499 starting price has given it more of an edge than initially expected.  While Apple declined to comment, it’s believed that textbooks were one of the key driving forces behind iPad development.