iBooks for OS X

Maybe. We've been hearing consistent rumors of a major iTunes overhall on its way this fall. I expect iBooks will be packaged with that. Whether or not it's previewed at WWDC and announced as a feature of Mountain Lion or announced as part of the fall iPhone/iPod event remains to be seen. I'm betting on fall.

Speedyparker87 said:

I expect iBooks will be packaged with that.

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I really wish that Apple would stop using iTunes their go-to app when they want to add features from iOS to OS X instead of writing new apps for OS X. With Apple's app-centric world view iTunes doesn't make any sense. Let me list off some of the functions that have been packaged into iTunes; media library, (handles everything except pictures) media library sharing, music player, movie player, internet radio, iTunes store front, and iOS device backups.

Each of these things could, and should IMO, be packaged off into its own app. It's time for iTunes to die and fragment into smaller apps so we can have a more streamlined OS.

JacaByte said:

Each of these things could, and should IMO, be packaged off into its own app. It's time for iTunes to die and fragment into smaller apps so we can have a more streamlined OS.

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This is truly my curiosity and not me bashing your post, do you like what google has done? I for one, have enough apps on my mac at the moment and would prefer not to have another six to find when I need certain content. My own viewpoint though.

JacaByte said:

Each of these things could, and should IMO, be packaged off into its own app. It's time for iTunes to die and fragment into smaller apps so we can have a more streamlined OS.

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Exactly what are they going to do for Windows then? Abandon it? I think not. THere is a reason they don’t do what you suggest - iTunes is very strong branding and they don’t have to support and develop several apps on different platforms where multiple things can go wrong. It’s just not practical to do it and in cases like this, complicates things since you have more to manage. IMO it became impractical when Apple decided to go multi platform with iTunes.

And no, there is not going to be an iBooks app for the map. If there hasn’t been any word now, it won’t happen. Apple has shown no desire to make their desktops or laptops ebook readers. I think they see it appropriate for their iOS devices.

wsw1217 said:

I think Apple may release iBooks for OS X as early as it launches Mountain Lion. How many people are with me?
I think it really makes sense for Apple to doing so. We can continue to read books on our mac which left off in our iOS devices and vice versa.

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I hope you and everyone who thinks there should be an iBooks for OS X should provide feedback to Apple. As always, the more people who request something with some reasons why they want it will make it stand out more as something Apple should probably do.

pdjudd said:

...
And no, there is not going to be an iBooks app for the map. If there hasn’t been any word now, it won’t happen. Apple has shown no desire to make their desktops or laptops ebook readers. I think they see it appropriate for their iOS devices.

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There have been many good posts on why iBooks for OS X should happen. One possible scenario, a student has been reading textbooks on an iPad and now needs to write a paper. The student switches to a Mac and brings up the reference books in iBooks (Which has had the bookmarks and such synced from the iPad) and Pages to write the paper. The student would then be able to copy and paste notes from the books to what they are writing in Pages. As well as being able to look up stuff in the books of course.

afin said:

This is truly my curiosity and not me bashing your post, do you like what google has done? I for one, have enough apps on my mac at the moment and would prefer not to have another six to find when I need certain content. My own viewpoint though.

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The only things I use Google for are for searches, Gmail and Google+, but yes, I like that everything they do is app-centric, which means that you don't have to buy into all their apps if you just want to use Gmail.

Re Windows: In case you haven't noticed, M$ is moving towards an app-centric world view with their metro interface. I really don't see any reason for iTunes to not fragment just for Windows' sake.

The introduction of retina macs at WWDC would be *the* time to introduce iBooks for OS X. "Look how clear and crisp the text is!" etc.

If we don't see iBooks then, or by ML's release, then I think Apple's decided that they want you to buy an iPad.

The student would then be able to copy and paste notes from the books to what they are writing in Pages.

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They could get this functionality by making your clipboard part of iCloud.

I don't think this is going to happen. Apple is about user experience. A book that you cannot hold becomes akin to a document or a webpage. I can't imagine reading a novel on my Mac. It doesn't make much sense to me at least.

wsw1217 said:

I think Apple may release iBooks for OS X as early as it launches Mountain Lion. How many people are with me?
I think it really makes sense for Apple to doing so. We can continue to read books on our mac which left off in our iOS devices and vice versa.

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There are already ebook-readers for OS X. Why would something like iBooks be necessary for said platform?

shinobi-81 said:

There are already ebook-readers for OS X. Why would something like iBooks be necessary for said platform?

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Unified experience, the ability to sync notes and bookmarks. You know the seamless approach Apple likes.

Cougarcat said:

They could get this functionality by making your clipboard part of iCloud.

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And for each piece of book annotation, you have to go to you iPad, find it, copy it to the clipboard, sync it, go to your computer, sync to iCloud there and paste from the clipboard? This is not a reasonable approach when someone may have made a dozen or even dozens of notes on a book.

myrtlebee said:

I don't think this is going to happen. Apple is about user experience. A book that you cannot hold becomes akin to a document or a webpage. I can't imagine reading a novel on my Mac. It doesn't make much sense to me at least.

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A novel, no––textbooks, yes.

Bear said:

And for each piece of book annotation, you have to go to you iPad, find it, copy it to the clipboard, sync it, go to your computer, sync to iCloud there and paste from the clipboard? This is not a reasonable approach when someone may have made a dozen or even dozens of notes on a book.

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Good point. (Though, couldn't they just add a "copy all annotations" option?) Irrespective of what apple does with iBooks, though, I really would like an iCloud-capable clipboard. Pastebot doesn't really work because you have to open it beforehand, and it doesn't work across macs, only Mac-iOS.

Cougarcat said:

A novel, no––textbooks, yes.

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This is true. I am returning to a few classes myself this fall and this would be rather convenient... hopefully publishers would be able to quickly port the books over if this scenario played out.

I'm hoping so too. A separate app for iBooks, the iBookstore, and iTunes U combined would be amazingly good on OS X.

It would make sense since the new Macbook Pro's are most likely going to have retina displays, and Apple are going to want an app to show off the display.

And like on iOS, it'll probably be on the Mac Appstore.

Having books on a Mac is, to me, similar to having movies on an iPhone. Sure, it's not going to be your preferred way to read or watch a movie, but in a pinch, it's really handy to have. I'm a student, and having my books on my computer would be so helpful for all the reasons mentioned in this thread. And, considering Apple seems to be unifying everything with Mountain Lion, it wouldn't be too surprising if they brought books over too.

I vote YES for iBooks on the Mac.

In the meantime, you could strip the DRM and use a different ePub reader... but not for rich textbooks, etc.

I'd be ticked if I was a student and had to have a laptop for school, but then also had to buy/carry an iPad to use the textbooks.

A side note... a friend has grade-school kids... their school wants them to get iPads (at their own expense).... and she is refusing because she's afraid her kids will get robbed and maybe subject to violence. It happens to adults with iPhones... not to go off topic.

JacaByte said:

I really wish that Apple would stop using iTunes their go-to app when they want to add features from iOS to OS X instead of writing new apps for OS X. With Apple's app-centric world view iTunes doesn't make any sense. Let me list off some of the functions that have been packaged into iTunes; media library, (handles everything except pictures) media library sharing, music player, movie player, internet radio, iTunes store front, and iOS device backups.

Each of these things could, and should IMO, be packaged off into its own app. It's time for iTunes to die and fragment into smaller apps so we can have a more streamlined OS.

Click to expand...

Even the store is getting way too cluttered. Maybe separate apps for each thing (store, music, videos, etc), and then the option to have one app for all if you don't want to keep switching between the apps,

Remember when the iTunes store used to just be for music? Seems like forever ago when all it was only about music content