Apple has officially announced its entry into the textbook market with it’s introduction of the new iBooks 2 app and iBooks Author e-book authoring tool. If you are curious on the cost of a textbook from the iBooks store, Apple announced that high school textbooks through Pearson, McGraw Hill and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will be available through the new iBookstore textbooks category for $14.99 or less. Comparing that figure to what it costs to purchase hard copies of some of these textbooks from McGraw Hill, the iBookstore sells the books for over 60 dollars cheaper. Apple also noted that the partners announced today produce 90 percent of textbooks that are currently available on the market.

From 9to5Mac

In terms of what will be available starting today, McGraw Hill released the following books currently used by over 3 million students worldwide: “Algebra 1,” “Biology,” “Chemistry,” “Geometry,” and “Physics.” Pearson will release “Algebra 1,” “Biology,” “Environmental Science,” and “Geometry” (only two available today), with math books to be released in the future. Pearson’s books are currently used by an estimated 4 millions students worldwide.

Apart from the three major textbook publishers, Apple will work with DK Publishing who is releasing four new books aimed at younger children on the iBookstore today, including “Dinosaurs and Prehistoric life,” “Natural History Insects,” “Natural History Animals,” and “My First ABC.”