6 ms·
Isn't Apple's announcement bad for society?
I would think that creating a locked in format that will be incompatible with everything would be the worst thing to do, and that creatives wouldn't stand for it. Graphic and Multimedia designers that I know of are still feeling the effects of Adobe's problems with Flash, why should we support another non-open, non-standard format? Won't we in the future be complaining that we have to find someone who still has an iPad in order to get this material into a usable format?
- gharbad 15y agoIt's all about the form-factor. That Apple recognizes this and is attempting to capitalize on it is fully expected.
- th0ma5 15y agoI understand that it is nice but I also think it throws out the baby with the bath water.
- vannevar 15y agoIt's actually all about the DRM. Dynamic textbooks in that form factor could be done using open standards, but it's Apple's locked in proprietary format that Apple is selling to textbook publishers.
- jonhendry 15y agoI'm sure the publishers are demanding DRM. I doubt Apple cares much, and going DRM-free would simplify things for Apple.
- serge2k 15y agoNo, going DRM would be against everything that apple is. If it is going to be an apple product then they will shove DRM on it. They want to lock customers in wherever and whenever possible.
- vannevar 15y agoApple cares because the publishers care. Apple realizes that the customers (the students) are locked in to the schools, which are in turn locked in to the publishers, which are now locked in to Apple.
- Someone 15y agoNo, it's all about the money. Publishers will use it, if they think it provides the best profit/risk ratio,.