Apple's Education Event: On the Road to Vendor Lock-in
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 19th Jan 2012 17:41 UTC
Apple Apple's education event just ended, and just as Ars Technica said, Apple announced better support for textbooks, as well as a textbook authoring tool. The textbook authoring tool is heavily inspired by Keynote and Pages, and hence, I already know it's going to be top-notch and very pleasant to use. In addition, the company also repositioned iTunes U as a Blackboard competitor. As great as all these new tools are, several large red flags went up in my mind: I remember what it was like being the only student who didn't use Windows. Update: "Any e-textbook author that wants access to the iPad-toting masses must make his or her work an exclusive to iBooks 2."
E-mail Print r 9   · Read More · 96 Comment(s) http://osne.ws/jp2
Permalink for comment 503923
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
It is always the same story
by moondevil on Thu 19th Jan 2012 20:22 UTC
moondevil
Member since:
2005-07-08

I also don't agree with this, but unfortunely is how things work.

Back in the old days each OS had its own systems language. A bit like the mobile world nowadays.

One of the reasons POSIX was created, was because each UNIX vendor was happily adding their own ways of doing something.

Compiler vendors from standard approved languages add their own set of languages extensions, sometimes without real reason.

Each productivity application has its own data format, most of the time kept secret or under expensive NDAs.

Many more examples can be given and this is why what FSF stands for matters.

All the companies are there for the money. Being nice to the customers is only a by-product of being nice to their shareholders.

When you work within big corporations that becomes crystal clear.

Reply Score: 5