There are two things that got people mad, after Apple event: 1. There was nothing special for students, only for teachers; 2. The output of the iBooks Author seems to be Apple’s property.

Well, I guess smart manuals, learning as leisure and better teaching structure are not helping students…

I remember Steve Jobs’ response to a Cupertino counselor that was asking for free wi-fi in Cupertino, as Google did in Mountain View: “I think we [Apple] bring a lot more than free wi-fi”;

The same response is fit here: if you need cheaper iPads for students, it’s the schools that should develop such projects and offer discounts; Apple can do a lot more than discounts. Like a better learning curve.

On the second issue, regarding the ownership of the iBooks created with iBook Author, there’s no doubt it’s a false problem.

Apple has come up not only with a “strange” kind of textbooks, but with an entire new process of teaching & learning, that is, a new kind of teacher / student relation.

Now, the teacher can build books that can be distributed for free, just like the apps can; the teacher can also make some money out of these books one’s writing, just as in apps’ selling; on top of that, the teacher has the freedom to email the books, which is a bonus comparing to the apps distribution process. No DRM.

Where’s the problem? Apple’s textbooks are far less book-like than they are app-like. Did you find it unacceptable for Apple to limit apps distribution?

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I was talking to a friend about these two “mistakes” Apple has made, and his take was “Yes, Apple is the only company in the world that can possibly make such “mistakes”; the dead never make such mistakes, they can only copy the living and “correct” their mistakes.”