Potential of iBook Author

Hardware is or perhaps already has become a commodity. Nearly any device produced – laptop, tablet, phone – is capable of reaching the online services provided by multiple providers and more than meets the needs of a very high proportion of users. The money put into such devices brings a dismissing return. Once you get past $300-400, a larger investment adds little to what you can accomplish. This reality is reflected in the diminished interest in these same devices. If it were not for difficulties with the wired-in batteries, most of us could extend our replacement cycle by several years. The speed of a connection is far more important than the speed of the CPU, drive, or bus.

The trend I describe here is not a reflection of the use of this technology. We might have moved more of our attention to mobile, but we have not diminished the focus of our attention on digital content.

These trends make it difficult for companies that are focused primarily on hardware. The multiple companies involved in generating hardware assure reasonable value for money spent. I use mostly Apple devices, but I understand that I am purchasing this hardware at a premium and for little advantage when it comes to my work. I am worried about the future of Apple hardware.

It seems Apple already realizes the challenges I have identified and are making every attempt to diversify. My frustration is that Apple fancies itself a design and hardware company and ignores the potential in content (with the exception of music) and online social. I wish that Apple would challenge Amazon in the ebook market. iBook Author is a great tool but largely ignored as a development environment because Apple refuses to make the necessary investments to take the content generated cross platform. Anyone writing for group adoptions (e.g., textbooks) cannot make a commitment to developing in iBook Author. Instructors making book decisions cannot put students in the situation of having to own the hardware from a specific company.

My complaints with the Amazon model beyond the general objection to the lack of competition is the simple format of the content that must be prepared for the Kindle. Generating content for the Kindle is not easy and the commitment of Amazon to its own low end devices limits the use of multimedia in the content created. I understand that Amazon is moving toward a more diversified textbook authoring platform, but derivations of pdfs are not what I find impressive. The Kindle devices are simply not suited to video or to integrating web and book content.

So Apple, you have the money to create a presence in the content environment. You will soon be out of the education market if you focus only on hardware.

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