I posted something on the section Big in Education about how television and Sesame Street relate to your points on screen viewing and addiction.
Joan Cooney Ganz created Sesame Street to help children learn using television. She saw how television caught a child's attention and how children were hooked on moving images. Her idea was simple. If she caught a child's attention, a child could learn. Generations of children have learned how to read, write, or do math from it.
Today, this generation has the Internet.
Yes, a computer screen can not replace a tactile learning experience. You cannot replicate thumbing through a physical book with an e-book.
There is a lot of creative stuff on the web. Yes, some things are pre-formatted. Keep looking if you haven't found what you like, I say. It's there but you might have to hunt for it and really dig. Go on livebinders.com. There's plenty of sources posted by teachers and librarians that have what you're looking for FREE.
http://drscavanaugh.org/ebooks/libraries/ebook_libraries.htm - is one source for FREE ebooks but there are many others.
iPad storybook - that's sensationalism. This is going to happen when parents are not using the best judgement. It's like going to bed with the television on. Stop and think.
Here's an alternative -
http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/ - skype an author for FREE!
Yes, I agree with you on programmers, designers, and businessmen being more interested in profits and revenues. Non-profits are on the web but Google's retrieval system is aimed at advertising and generating profits. So you have to enter terms like free or non-profit or create into your search terms. Otherwise, you'll get the companies trying to make money and sell you a product or service you don't need.
What is your daughter trying to find? Can you be precise in words? That's a tip and trick.
