Apple to Begin International Roll Out of iBooks and iBookstore Alongside iPad Launch

[MacRumors]

Earlier today, Apple announced the launch of the iPad in nine new countries later this month: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. As noted by iLounge, Apple is also rolling out its iBooks iPad application and associated iBookstore in many of these countries at launch.

Apple's country-specific press releases for Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the UK all indicate availability of the iBooks app and the iBookstore on May 28th. Apple has yet to post press releases for France, Germany, and Switzerland, however, and thus iBooks availability for those countries has not yet been confirmed.

The iBookstore was announced as a U.S.-only feature during the iPad's introduction in late January, although evidence soon surfaced that Apple was making plans to extend it internationally. Apple also announced last month that it will be bringing iBooks and the iBookstore to the iPhone and iPod touch with iPhone OS 4 later this year.

Article Link: Apple to Begin International Roll Out of iBooks and iBookstore Alongside iPad Launch

[law guy]

That screen shot of Winnie the Pooh is really neat. It captures the potential for this as a reader in a more compelling way than I've seen to date. I don't think that it displaces books for me at least, but it is a simple powerful presentation to use the animated book.

[jakealdred]

I can't wait!

[Streethawk]

Great news, as eBooks will be a big thing for me.

[HiRez]

I'd like to know how fast iBooks content is ramping up compared to Amazon (they only had about 60K books at launch) and why there's still a lot of big books missing from it, for example George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series.

[ZombiePete]

I love reading on the iBooks app, but they really need to expand their library of older books if they want me to keep buying from the iBooks store. I had been reading the Tawny Man series on my nook and wanted to finish it up but found a very limited selection from Robin Hobb available in iBooks. I bought Desperation from Stephen King instead but am going to want to finish the other series soon.

[HiRez]

Also, when is iBooks coming to iPhone? Since it's not a core OS app, I don't see why it would have to wait for OS 4.

[JediZenMaster]

Originally Posted by HiRez

Also, when is iBooks coming to iPhone? Since it's not a core OS app, I don't see why it would have to wait for OS 4.

Not sure why it wasn't released yet on the iphone. But iBooks will be launched on the iPhone when OS 4 Debuts

[baryon]

So the rest of us will just have to wait until 2011 I guess!

[mich8261]

does anybody know if it will be possible to purchase books in another country's ibookstore? I'd love to be able to purchase books which may only be available in the Canadian or French ibookstore. I hope there aren't the same industry territorial restrictions that apply to music and video content in iTunes.

[ditzy]

I'm pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to check out the iBook store.

[Gaijin de Moscu]

Originally Posted by mich8261

does anybody know if it will be possible to purchase books in another country's ibookstore? I'd love to be able to purchase books which may only be available in the Canadian or French ibookstore. I hope there aren't the same industry territorial restrictions that apply to music and video content in iTunes.

Yes, it's possible. Through either local credit cards or gift vouchers (from trusted sources only), I purchase contents from the US, Japan, Switzerland and Russian iTunes stores.

But my case may be unique, as I have legitimate addresses in all four countries...

[Gaijin de Moscu]

Originally Posted by law guy

That screen shot of Winnie the Pooh is really neat. It captures the potential for this as a reader in a more compelling way than I've seen to date. I don't think that it displaces books for me at least, but it is a simple powerful presentation to use the animated book.

I agree, it's an enticing screenie.

For me, the e-store convenience has already started displacing paper books.

[wolfshades]

Originally Posted by mich8261

does anybody know if it will be possible to purchase books in another country's ibookstore? I'd love to be able to purchase books which may only be available in the Canadian or French ibookstore. I hope there aren't the same industry territorial restrictions that apply to music and video content in iTunes.

The answer is "no". Having said that, there are always ways to get around the restrictions. I have a Sony PRS600 eReader and can't tell you the number of times I've been frustrated in trying to buy an ebook from the online store, despite the fact that the physical book has been available in local bookstores.

[ValSalva]

We have until the end of the month to prepare. Better go to the gym now and workout those biceps and shoulders so you can hold up that iPad

[Rooey]

I've had a LOT of apple iStuff... from the day I bought my first iBook through to the mac mini server I bought myself to play with, the Apple TV and the god-awful 27" iMac... The iPod, Touch and Phone... I've had the over-heating macbook air, the "i'm turning myself off" G4 cube... hell I would have probably bought a bloody newton. I love my iStuff.

Suffice to say, few have been more excited than me about the iPad's ultimate arrival in the UK... but at £429 for the low-end model (in todays money that's 629 USD) and a quite frankly AWFUL data plan from Orange for the 3G model... I think i'm actually going to pass. (and I really can't believe i'm saying that to myself).

I suspect it will probably be cheaper to buy a unit in the US and pay the import duty.

Bad Steve!
</rant>

[macfan881]

cant wait till this will be available on the iPhone too.

[dav]

Any way to buy japanese books on a US account? Hmph.

[tonystocco]

Originally Posted by JediZenMaster

Not sure why it wasn't released yet on the iphone. But iBooks will be launched on the iPhone when OS 4 Debuts

Does anyone know if iBooks will be available on the 1st gen phone? (yes, I still have the original, 4GB iphone)

[djrod]

Originally Posted by Rooey

I've had a LOT of apple iStuff... from the day I bought my first iBook through to the mac mini server I bought myself to play with, the Apple TV and the god-awful 27" iMac... The iPod, Touch and Phone... I've had the over-heating macbook air, the "i'm turning myself off" G4 cube... hell I would have probably bought a bloody newton. I love my iStuff.

Suffice to say, few have been more excited than me about the iPad's ultimate arrival in the UK... but at £429 for the low-end model (in todays money that's 629 USD) and a quite frankly AWFUL data plan from Orange for the 3G model... I think i'm actually going to pass. (and I really can't believe i'm saying that to myself).

I suspect it will probably be cheaper to buy a unit in the US and pay the import duty.

Bad Steve!
</rant>

Here in Spain the 16GB wifi model is 479€ = 609 USD but...

479 with 16% tax = 402.36€ with no taxes = 511.222 USD

So it's really only 12USD more expensive...

What about UK?

Ipad Wifi 16gb UK 429 pounds = 634.444 USD

Ipad wifi 16GB UK with no taxes (19%) = 347,49 pounds = 513.779 USD

In the UK is only 15USD more expensive

Blame the taxes, not Apple


About importing...in Spain:

Ipad Wifi 16GB = 391euro + 16% tax + 20% customs = 544euro + shipping... that's around 600 euro!

[ZombiePete]

Originally Posted by tonystocco

Does anyone know if iBooks will be available on the 1st gen phone? (yes, I still have the original, 4GB iphone)

Hard to say; if iPhone OS 4.0 is required to get iBooks, which I would suspect, then I would say no.

[Baltika09]

No Germany!!!!! :-( das ist eine lauter Menge Scheiße!!! Not happy, boooo!

[Duncan-UK]

Originally Posted by djrod

Here in Spain the 16GB wifi model is 479€ = 609 USD but...

479 with 16% tax = 402.36€ with no taxes = 511.222 USD

So it's really only 12USD more expensive...

What about UK?

Ipad Wifi 16gb UK 429 pounds = 634.444 USD

Ipad wifi 16GB UK with no taxes (19%) = 347,49 pounds = 513.779 USD

In the UK is only 15USD more expensive

Blame the taxes, not Apple


About importing...in Spain:

Ipad Wifi 16GB = 391euro + 16% tax + 20% customs = 544euro + shipping... that's around 600 euro!

UK VAT is 17.5% (for the moment)

[flottenheimer]

Originally Posted by Rooey

...Suffice to say, few have been more excited than me about the iPad's ultimate arrival in the UK... but at £429 for the low-end model (in todays money that's 629 USD) and a quite frankly AWFUL data plan from Orange for the 3G model... I think i'm actually going to pass. (and I really can't believe i'm saying that to myself).

I suspect it will probably be cheaper to buy a unit in the US and pay the import duty.

Or find a friend or colleague of yours who's going on a trip to New York... That's what I did. US prices are awsome.

[flottenheimer]

Regional restrictions are ridiculous. That goes for movies, tv-shows, clothes, software, books -whatever. The world, the marketplace has become truly global.

I'm sittin' here in Denmark with my lovely iPad. I'm ready to buy some books. Unfortunately, "The iBooks application is not available for download in this region". If you buy an AppleTV in Denmark (and a lot of other countries), you can't rent movies for it. You simply can't rent or buy movies through iTunes...

As a consumer, I'm not allowed to pay for some stuff that I'd like to pay for. Now, who has a real interest in this?

Putting an end to regional restrictions should be Steves next big battle! The current "logic" is ridiculous.