Apple unveils iTunes U for iPad

[moxiemk1]

This announcement in particular stood out as meaningful to me, because it seems with the iTunes U app, Apple is taking on Blackboard.

There are few products that, as a student, more directly inhibit education than Blackboard. Ripe for disruption? More like rotting on the ground.

[davidblair]

The reason Blackboard doesn't have competition is due to the patents they hold. They have made a commitment not to sue free, open source projects, but as soon as you start charging money they are ready to protect their IP rights.

[Groxx]

We can only hope. My university use(d|s) a competitor (sorry, name escapes me, though I supported it for a year or two) that was also crap. It's terrifying just how horrible these systems are.

[russnewcomer]

I don't think they are really taking on Blackboard. They purchased PowerSchool in 2001, but then sold it in 2006. I think that shows they have no interest in this space, even though if they could sell a system that integrates the iTunes U app into the SIS.

[algorithms]

I think Apple has the potential to change the way we handle information in both schools and hospitals (and of course private practices). Both of these are usually still using outdated Hardware/Software from ~2000 so they will have to be replaced in the near future.

I just don't know if it's good for a school to buy into a closed environment, like the one Apple provides.

[ceol]

Don't most schools already buy into Microsoft's closed environment?

[frankPants]

Well, there's no other alternative at the moment. The only thing students are bound by is the curriculum and recommended texts. I for one, hope Amazon get onto it too. It's just a shame it's always Apple innovating and the rest left catching up. How and why did Amazon not see this as an opportunity years ago? They must sell thousands of text books each year and ship them everywhere.

[lukejduncan]

What's great about Apple entering the space is it inspires competitors. I'd love to see a bunch of businesses pop up around this.

[teeray]

So, who else just downloaded more courses than they can possibly manage to watch?

[bipartitegraph]

Wasn't this always there?

[teeray]

The video lectures were there, and the UI was the same as watching a podcast. Abstracting iTunes U into its own app allowed Apple to add course materials without it cluttering up the "Videos" app.

[tikhonj]

Now we just need iTunes U for Linux... Or better yet, the universities using it should provide the lectures in some open format as well.

[frankPants]

So write it.