1. “Ripe for digital destruction.” That is how the late Steve Jobs was quoted describing the textbook industry in a recent biography of Apple’s co-founder. It will soon become clear whether he was right—and to what extent Apple can benefit from Mr Jobs's insight. Recently the firm unveiled software aimed at reinventing the textbook. But in contrast to the music business, Apple will not have this digital field to itself. Amazon, Google and a host of smaller firms such as Inkling have all set their sights on the textbook market.
2. Apple is betting that students and teachers will swiftly embrace digital texts, which are not only far cheaper than printed versions but have other advantages too. Books made of bits and bytes do not get dog-eared with use and can serve up things such as arresting videos and 3D images to make learning more fun. The firm’s software also lets users append notes to e-textbooks and convert these notes into electronic study cards that can be used for revision.
3. Some sceptics argue that printed textbooks are likely to prove longer lived than technology enthusiasts think. These are used in very different ways to novels and other books that have already been swept up in the digital revolution. To compare passages in a text, for instance, students often skip back and forth between them. And sometimes they need to have several books open at once.
4. A study conducted last year by the National Association of College Stores found that three-quarters of the 665 students surveyed preferred a hard copy to a digital one. Teachers who have long worked with printed texts may also be wary of prescribing digital versions for their courses.
5. But such hurdles will almost certainly be overcome as technology improves and the economics of digital textbooks become even more compelling. Such textbooks are also likely to prove increasingly popular for other reasons, too, including the fact that they can make learning a more social experience by taking advantage of Facebook-type features. Some governments are already promoting the use of digital textbooks in classrooms. South Korea even has a plan to ditch paper texts altogether as part of an ambitious plan to create a digital scholastic network.
Steve Jobs’s prediction that the business is ripe for disruption is likely to be proven correct—and traditional publishers will probably be taught a very costly digital lesson.
Reading Comprehension
I) Put the following sentences logically in the right order according to the text:
1. Digital textbooks are becoming very popular.
2. Some teachers are not ready to prescribe digital versions for their courses.
3. Apple has a very important goal to change the textbook industry.
4. Learning is promised to be more creative with digital texts.
5. Different ways of working with e-textbooks will be available.
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