Why exactly is it so "innovative"(just using the words apple used) when they could have done the same thing for their laptops for years now? Its not like ipad is the only big screen in Apples inventory lol

Simplicity, ergonomics, resolution

I read books on my laptop all the time, but using my brothers ipad is a revelation

A better question is why do college students need buy new text books every year? What so drastically changes the fundamentals of a field of study that last year's text book must be completely replaced? No simply flyer with updates, no corrections from the professor, nope, most of the time they just reword a few paragraphs, move the chapters around a bit and print a new edition.

It's a total scam. And don't think it's going to change when things go digital. The only change will be no used book sales. You'll have just as many yearly editions, but you won't be able to turn your book in at the end of your class for a partial refund.

Oh and reading on any iOS device is terrible and just as much an eyestrain as reading on any LCD display. The Kindle has a great paper like screen, but it's far too small for a text book. If I was still in college I'd stick with regular paper books, my Android, and my gaming PC.

I wouldn't bother buying any kind of tablet. I'd rather spend about the same amount and get a laptop that does much more. I don't need a touch screen. I need a decent keyboard, faster cpu, and a dvd/blueray burner to burn copious amounts of downloaded movies as well as many other things that tablets aren't capable of.

you can touch it!

They have to buy new textbooks every year because they have differnet classes.

Different Textbook editions actually don't come out every year and most schools will stick with an older edition for a year or two after the new one comes out because of used textbook sales which are pretty important.

It's why unlike most things the price of textbooks goes up every year for a college bookstore.

The first year of a new edition is the cheapest the college bookstore will ever get it for... after that they'll jack up the price 25-50 bucks at a time.

I used to run shipping and receiving at a college bookstore and onetime we had a book go up so high in price it was actually costing us more then we were selling it for and it was after our "Price freeze" happened.

Its completely interactive as you can turn the page as you would with an ordinary textbook, rather than having to scroll to the bottom and click etc. Also, it is much easier to highlight and annotate notes compared to a conventional laptop. Besides, did you watch the video about their ibooks publisher app? Overall, it definately makes the whole experience much more engaging and rewarding!

The textbook companies either didnt think there was a market or actually tried and failed in the past on laptops(I assume its the former). Now that the tablet fad is in full swing and there is proof of a digital book market the book publishers know they can rip off people at even a higher profit margin and kill the used market.

Adding on to what Kasz216 said, another part is that some fields are heavily connected to current events and are very dynamic. For example, new editions for Macroeconomics and Finance textbooks is justified given the current economic conditions.

Textbook industry is still a scam no matter what reasoning you try and put behind the industry.