Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Books App Improvements

rillrill

rillrill

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 27, 2011
843
654
New York
Hey, did anybody take notice to the new Apple Books app? They greatly improve the margins and really fine tuned it. They have this paper color option. That’s pretty nice. Color me impressed.

Edit. The iOS version still has some useless padding, but the iPadOS version is very nice.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire, Sorryimlate, noblesoul117 and 1 other person
I feel the same way! The paper option on both the iPad and iPhone is really nice. Reading on the iPhone though is still not ideal, but great for quick reading sessions that sync once you pick up the iPad for longer ones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire and Sorryimlate
Nice changes though I still have issues that have appeared since iOS 15 such as collections not syncing and my iCloud library often resetting and redownloading even in the middle of reading which closes the book.
 
Long titles get put into some kind of permanent weird text bubble with a drop shadow...so unnecessary and distracting. Unless I am missing something you can't get rid of it. Just give me the page, with text, nothing else, please Apple! Will file a report.

IMG_1857.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: SamanthaBunny and bobjonesco
I want to use Books, but until I can wirelessly transfer my m4b files to it, I won't. Last time I used it, I had to plug my phone into my MacBook and sync my audiobook files. I downloaded BookPlayer. I can add audiobooks directly from my iCloud Drive. Works great.
 
Books should have kept the page turning animation. I hope people send Feedback to Apple. Books looks and feels so unintuitive in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. Why get rid of the page turn animation when it's such a popular, intuitive and recognizable feature for anyone who has used iBooks and Books?

The slide in animation looks horrible on my 9th gen iPad. My iPhone 13 Pro Max doesn't seem to have the slide in animation at all. I tried limiting frame rate to 60 fps and it made no difference.

I really hope Apple brings back page turning and makes slide in an option.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sorryimlate, bobjonesco and entropys
You know, apple could make serious inroads with a push into audiobooks. Amazon totally is pushing a nit cheap subscription, and stand alone audiobooks are at hardcover prices!

Imagine buying a book at a small premium over the book price that had both audio and ebook!
 
I may not call them "improvements".
Hiding frequently used "contents" in option menu, presenting a big cross on up-right corner when you are reading, closing a book with swiping-down gesture like it's a photo, and double-tap to bookmark... those "improvements" seems unnatural to me :<
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: SamanthaBunny, Jimmie Geddes and Mr Todhunter
SaMMyS said:
I may not call them "improvements".
Hiding frequently used "contents" in option menu, presenting a big cross on up-right corner when you are reading, closing a book with swiping-down gesture like it's a photo, and double-tap to bookmark... those "improvements" seems unnatural to me :<
Click to expand...
Besides calling the Music app an improvement over iTunes. It turns my stomach..
 
SaMMyS said:
I may not call them "improvements".
Hiding frequently used "contents" in option menu, presenting a big cross on up-right corner when you are reading, closing a book with swiping-down gesture like it's a photo, and double-tap to bookmark... those "improvements" seems unnatural to me :<
Click to expand...

I haven't tried iOS16 Books yet but if those are the changes then I definitely say they are improvements. Especially the double-tap to bookmark. I had how I have to now tap screen, then reach all the way up the corner just to bookmark. Being able to it one handed is much better.
 
bobjonesco said:
I can't believe they thought adding distracting buttons on top of pages was a good idea. Even Amazon gets that part right.
Click to expand...
The people designing the app probably have never used it. I will not be surprised if they have not opened a book since they left school. Anyway reading is for weirdos like me and a handfull of others We are a dying species.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire, SaMMyS and Jimmie Geddes
Mr Todhunter said:
The people designing the app probably have never used it. I will not be surprised if they have not opened a book since they left school. Anyway reading is for weirdos like me and a handfull of others We are a dying species.
Click to expand...
Looks like those buttons now disappear in iPadOS 16.1 - here’s hoping it’s the same on ios 16.1
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire
Actual improvements would be making it easier to find *entire* series of books in the store, particularly when there are multiple authors, or making the library more intuitive (I for the life of me have not ever been able to understand why different authors have to be in different rows)

The sliding animation during page turns is *horrible*. Does anyone at all actually enjoy it?

I was hoping there was a way to restore the page turn, or at the least to turn off that entirely ghastly sliding animation, which simply ruins the experience of reading for me, I’m afraid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jimmie Geddes and BigMcGuire
SamanthaBunny said:
The sliding animation during page turns is *horrible*. Does anyone at all actually enjoy it?

I was hoping there was a way to restore the page turn, or at the least to turn off that entirely ghastly sliding animation, which simply ruins the experience of reading for me, I’m afraid.
Click to expand...
As I said before, I don't care because I'm staying on 15.7. My iPads are good for at least 5 more years.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: SamanthaBunny
After using the new Books App for a couple of days, I miss the old page-turning animation, but I also find the new one not as annoying as I expected on my iPhone 12 and iPad Pro. When my finger swipes from right to left, instead of waiting a second on iOS 15, the new page-turning animation starts instantly.
Performance seems improved as well. When on iOS 15, my iPhone 12 can't load catalogue of one of my books with 3000+ pages and sometimes crashes, on iOS 16.1 it works just fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jayseph and BigMcGuire
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back