• The Wall Street Journal et al., Wednesday, February 3, 2010 11:50 AM

Despite its newfangled features and futuristic sex appeal, analysts and consumers are still wondering how the iPad will establish itself as a matchless, must-have device. One possibility -- if certain software developers and textbook publishers have their way -- is education.

According to The Wall Street Journal, major textbook publishers have already struck deals with software company ScrollMotion to adapt their titles -- along with graphic-rich supplementary applications, "test-preps," and study guides -- for the "electronic page."

"To see where this is going in the more immediate future," writes Gizmodo, "you can probably just look at what ScrollMotion already does for iPhone and iPod touch apps, since they're doing the heavy lifting getting these textbooks onto the iPad."

"It certainly makes the machine more classroom-viable, but we'll hold judgment until we see what actually comes of this partnership," writes Engadget. "Your move, Kindle."

Participating publishers include McGraw-Hill, Education Media & Publishing Group's Houghton Mifflin Harcourt K-12, Pearson PLC's Pearson Education, and Washington Post Co.'s Kaplan.

From students and teachers to tech companies and publishers, the broader trend benefits all parties, says business news blogger Shelly Palmer. "Bringing textbooks and test-prep courses to electronic books may not only be a great way to help students, it could also enhance learning through interactivity, which has been touted by educators for over two decades," he notes.

To support the migration, technology spending in the U.S. educational market is poised to jump from $47.6 billion in 2008 to $61.9 billion in 2013, according to market research firm Compass Intelligence.

Such growth projections, however, are unlikely to come as a surprise to Apple. As The Journal story notes and as Apple Insider points out: "While Apple's intentions for the education market were not made clear during the iPad's unveiling last week ... according to those familiar with the iPad's development the device's role in education was a major point of discussion at Apple."

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal et al. »