Penguin Looking to Reinvent eBooks on iPad With Interactive Media
paidContent:UK reported earlier this week on a presentation from Penguin Books CEO John Makinson showing his company's vision for the future of eBooks on the iPad. Makinson's presentation highlighted Penguin's goal of embedding interactive content such as audio and video into its eBooks, as well as the inclusion of even more advanced features such as chats between readers.
Interestingly, Penguin is even looking to push things beyond what the EPUB format used for Apple's iBookstore can support, meaning that the company is planning to launch much of its content as applications rather than eBooks. It is unclear how that strategy will mesh with Apple's plans for its centralized iBookstore.
A video of the demo played during Makinson's presentation has also been posted.
Interestingly, Penguin is even looking to push things beyond what the EPUB format used for Apple's iBookstore can support, meaning that the company is planning to launch much of its content as applications rather than eBooks. It is unclear how that strategy will mesh with Apple's plans for its centralized iBookstore.
"We will be embedding audio, video and streaming in to everything we do. The .epub format, which is the standard for ebooks at the present, is designed to support traditional narrative text, but not this cool stuff that we're now talking about.
"So for the time being at least we'll be creating a lot of our content as applications, for sale on app stores and HTML, rather than in ebooks. The definition of the book itself is up for grabs."
A video of the demo played during Makinson's presentation has also been posted.
Top Rated Comments
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25 months ago
Wow - looks suprisingly fantastic. I wonder what all of the "iFad" people have to say about those features. :)
25 months ago
They really are going to change the face of media with this thing.
Think about all the kids books you can get on this thing - no more books in 10 years?
The only issue for me is - can I give my $500 iPad to my two year old daughter and let her have at it?
I don't think so!
Think about all the kids books you can get on this thing - no more books in 10 years?
The only issue for me is - can I give my $500 iPad to my two year old daughter and let her have at it?
I don't think so!
25 months ago
All signs - I mean ALL SIGNS - since the iPad's demo have suggested this thing will be HUGE. It's already turning the industry on its head and it isn't even on sale yet.
Apple's made these times very exciting.
Apple's made these times very exciting.
25 months ago
That happiness apparently has not stopped book publishers from noting that it could be argued that Apple should have to pay them for content based on its need to drive device sales, although that tactic has obviously not worked.
That logic is deeply flawed (and I'm not surprised the publishing industry is struggling with nitwits like these in charge).Apple has other content providers to help drive hardware sales; they don't need to rely on the book publishing industry. There are music, TV shows, movies, audiobooks, and hundreds of thousands of apps. The publishing industry needs Apple, etc. far more than vice versa.
25 months ago
This stuff is great and I think the BIGGEST winners here are young children.
I was raised on TV and I can already see that my 3 year old daughter is far more creative and intelligent than I was at 3 because she spends more time with my iPod Touch and less time with the television than I did when I was a kid.
I mean, Seaseme Street is nice and all, but she's playing word games that let you drag letters around to spell words that I'm certain I didn't know until I was 4 or 5 years old. All these pre-school games we have are about exploration and discovery. They let her DO things instead of just watching things.
I honestly think the 'under-6' age range will be a measurable iPad demographic which isn't the case for ANY smart phone. The iPad is going to find a lot of customers in places RIM and Android never thought to look.
"Stay on the sofa. If you get up with the iPod you lose it for the rest of the day."
And you have to mean it.
My 3 year old has been playing with an iPod Touch for an entire year now without putting so much as a single scratch on it. Just be clear that it's not a running-around toy and then keep it on a high shelf when they're not using it.
I was raised on TV and I can already see that my 3 year old daughter is far more creative and intelligent than I was at 3 because she spends more time with my iPod Touch and less time with the television than I did when I was a kid.
I mean, Seaseme Street is nice and all, but she's playing word games that let you drag letters around to spell words that I'm certain I didn't know until I was 4 or 5 years old. All these pre-school games we have are about exploration and discovery. They let her DO things instead of just watching things.
I honestly think the 'under-6' age range will be a measurable iPad demographic which isn't the case for ANY smart phone. The iPad is going to find a lot of customers in places RIM and Android never thought to look.
The only issue for me is - can I give my $500 iPad to my two year old daughter and let her have at it?
I don't think so!
"Stay on the sofa. If you get up with the iPod you lose it for the rest of the day."
And you have to mean it.
My 3 year old has been playing with an iPod Touch for an entire year now without putting so much as a single scratch on it. Just be clear that it's not a running-around toy and then keep it on a high shelf when they're not using it.
25 months ago
The concept eBooks and the iPad seem to fulfill the dream of interactive comics the Tom Hanks character in "Big" envisioned. It all seemed so far fetched back in 1988.
25 months ago
!!!!
As opposed to computers, I mean.
I should give my mom some credit here. I don't mean I ONLY watched TV. We had strict time limits. I never had cable TV until I went to college at age 18. We only had 1 TV in the house. Compared to most of my friends, who had several TVs around the house, I was practically Amish.
My point is, I didn't have a computer when I was a kid.
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