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Apple iBooks 2 sells 350,000 textbooks in three days

Josh Lowensohn/CNET

(CBS) - Apple's iBooks 2 for the iPad is performing well, according to early statistics.

More than 350,000 textbooks have sold in just three days. All Things D reports, the numbers were sourced from Global Equities Research - a company that monitors Apple's iBook sales.

Full coverage of Apple at Tech Talk
Apple launches iBooks 2 digital textbooks

Last week, the company launched the iBooks 2 app for the iPad and its companion authoring tool - iBooks Author. Early numbers for iBooks Author are promising, as well, with about 90,000 downloads. The new technology promises to disrupt the textbook system as we know it.

Under Apple's new system, textbooks are sold directly to students, bypassing the middle man. Global Equities Research estimate the disruption in the supply chain will cut out roughly 33 percent to 35 percent out of the cost of books.

The research firm estimates production costs can be cut by 80 percent, so book publishers will be able to save, as well. High school textbooks will be available for $14.99 or less.

While these numbers are great, but there are currently no details on what we're really interested in: college textbooks.

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