Apple iBooks 2 announced - 're-invents the textbook'

Apple announced today iBooks 2, a new version of iBooks which it hopes will reinvigorate the education market.

Phil Schiller took the stage at the Guggenheim Museum in New York to unveil the next generation of iBooks, one which it is hoped will banish staid and boring textbooks in favour of a more interactive experience.

"Kids are getting smarter thanks to their tablets, whether they're older and studying for finals or​ kids playing a Dora game," said Schiller.

He then went on to announce the arrival of iBooks 2 and with it, Apple is "reinventing the textbook".

"We love books… They'll always be with us, but fast forward more than a few hundred years, and it's not hard to see that the textbook is not always the ideal learning tool."

"[So] I am extremely proud to tell you about the new iBooks 2. Kids are really going to love to learn with iBooks."

Text pest

Apple being Apple isn't just reprinting page after page of equations, it is making its e-textbooks as interactive as possible.

The way it is doing this is by adding visuals. One demo which Apple showed off was of an insect.

You could highlight certain portions of the insect and get more information about it. There's also little things like definition of words and such like that are accessible through iBooks 2.

There's also other features like Notes, he ability to make study cards and a whole load of quizzes embedded into the iBook textbooks.

The app is obviously free but individual textbooks will cost a bit. Oh, and there's the added of cost of an iPad - so we're guessing this is one education for the middle class and privileged.

Apple also announced iBooks Author, a new self-publishing tool which allows you to create your very own iBooks for free.