Lots of discussion lately about the iPad for textbooks. I find it a bit premature since I only bought mine today, the first day of it’s release. Since the experiments are about to commence throughout Appleville, I thought I’d add some grist to the knowledge mill.

Here are two examples of what print might look like when it is creatively moved from analog to digital. The purpose is to thrill your imagination, help you see ways that ‘print’ can become something totally new when it morphs from it’s traditional and historical analog state to a new, multimedia digital world. The change to the digital mindset will give reading and learning a whole new meaning, and like iTunes, once again change the business model for an industry.

I especially like the Sports Illustrated model that incorporates an easy to use ‘social media wheel’ that enables you to instantly connect and converse with your social network. It highlights what I think is one of the key differentiators between the analog and the digital versions. The analog was inherently isolating and we needed to create environments, for example schools, where text could be shared and discussed. The digital model is basically social and enables connections and conversations.

As author Nick Bilton points out in his new book, “I Live in the Future and Here’s How it Works.”, it can also be immersive. His interview with NPR is also an eye opener into the future if digital publishing.