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Apple Raising iBookstore Visibility by Exhibiting at BookExpo America for First Time

Thunderhawks said:
Is there anything wrong with reading a REAL book?
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For me it's not as readable. I can make the font any size I want in an ebook, I can reference any book I own any time I want since they all travel with me. I just like the iBook app so much I am getting rid of all my paper books. I don't read on paper any more.

Today's children will grow up with animated ebooks and will never know nor miss paper books.
 
Tones2 said:
Wow. That's gotta WAY limit your choices in what you read just for some minor visual enhancements (and I mean MINOR, like slightly better page turning animation) in the iBook app. To each his own I guess. :)

Tony
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DeDRM and Calibre converts everything into a non-DRMed, readable book.

No limits.
 
NebulaClash said:
Can you convert Amazon format to ePub? If so, that would be fine with me. It's ePub or nothing since I like to have my entire library on my iBookshelf.
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Yes. If the book has DRM then you must remove the DRM first.

Amazon sells some books without DRM, and those can be converted to ePub (and many other formats) without any problems using a (free) program like Calibre.
 
ImNoSuperMan said:
The problem isn't the bright LCD but the low dpi of current iPad display. As soon as apple gets the 4X resolution for iPad, it'll be as good as any e-ink display out there. Of course both displays will still have their own advantages and dis advantages compared to each other, but the huge gap in performance as a book reading display will become next to negligible once the dpi increases.
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Can you please explain or link to an article which explains the science behind DPI relating to eyestrain? I really want to be able to use my iPad as my primary e-book reader, but give up after just a few pages because it hurts my eyes, so I go running back to my Kindle everytime. It could explain why I haven't experienced eyestrain when reading in iBooks on my iPhone 4, but have always assumed that was down to the smaller screen size pumping less light into my face. If it is down to the DPI rather than e-ink vs LCD, that would give me some hope of being able to use a future iPad as an e-reader someday.
 
Daveoc64 said:
Yes. If the book has DRM then you must remove the DRM first.

Amazon sells some books without DRM, and those can be converted to ePub (and many other formats) without any problems using a (free) program like Calibre.
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Well, thank you for educating me. Funny, I use Calibre to convert PDF to ePub, but somehow I thought I had read that if you get Amazon ebooks you are stuck reading them on a Kindle or Kindle software. I never poked around Calibre to see if that was true or not. I really appreciate you setting me right.

I just gained a new bookstore for my iBookshelf :)
 
Tones2 said:
Um..what they need to do it's stop concentrating on marketing and focus on content. Amazon and Google blow them away in terms of eBook content, especially non-fiction and technical books. No comparison really. Plus, you can't even read an iBook on your computer! I'm not sure why I would ever opt for the Apple bookstore over the Amazon bookstore at this point.
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I agree with this. I haven't checked out the iBooks selection in months because they never had anything I was looking for. Amazon usually does.

That and the Kindle app is superior.

It doesn't matter how visible iBookstore is when their selection sucks.

Thunderhawks said:
Is there anything wrong with reading a REAL book?
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No. But an e-book is cheaper, it downloads within seconds, you don't have to hop from store to store to check if the book you want is in stock, and you store an entire library in one place.
 
NebulaClash said:
I don't read on paper any more.

Today's children will grow up with animated ebooks and will never know nor miss paper books.
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Oh... You mean like the paperless office we were all told we'd be working in by the year 2000? ;) (for those of us old enough to remember this promise, that is)

Hopefully iOS 5 will bring a revamped iBooks - and Lion will hopefully bring desktop compatibility. The major thing that irks me with the iBookstore at the moment is the fact that I can't browse or purchase books from my Mac.

RTP.
 
RodThePlod said:
Oh... You mean like the paperless office we were all told we'd be working in by the year 2000? ;) (for those of us old enough to remember this promise, that is)

Hopefully iOS 5 will bring a revamped iBooks - and Lion will hopefully bring desktop compatibility. The major thing that irks me with the iBookstore at the moment is the fact that I can't browse or purchase books from my Mac.

RTP.
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I'm not one who wants to read on my computer, but I can understand why that should be an option for those who do wish to do that. I think it's a sure shot that iBooks will keep improving. The lack of choice in the store is more a fault of the publishers who don't want to cooperate with Apple. It's the usual problem where Apple wants to give the world to everyone, and the rights holders get stubborn over the terms.

As for the paperless office, touche indeed. But have you read about corporate board meetings going paperless with iPads? It's coming. And I really do believe that kids who grow up with interative books that have sound, movement and video will never settle for paper books.

The example of an office involves adult behavior, already learned by the time they get there. My point involves childhood learning that tends to affect their adult selves.

Just as we are in the post-PC era, but there will always be some PCs around for decades to come, we are entering the paperless era, but there will always be paper books for those who want them. Just because I will (try to) never read a paper book again doesn't mean you have to do the same.
 
logandzwon said:
Apple needs three things in this market;
- iBooks needs to be readable on the desktop.
- The need to add content.
- They need to competitive with their pricing.
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Yea - Worse content, worse pricing, no desktop app - well that's pretty much everything. :)

Tony
 
Daveoc64 said:
That depends on:

a) Why you're doing it
(AND/OR)
b) Where you're doing it
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Did searches on the internet on this and I'm still not sure if breaking the DRM even for personal use is technically legal. I'd never do it though.

Tony
 
thejadedmonkey said:
I wish Apple would just stick to making hardware (and the OS that it runs). They're acting like they want to rule the world, or at least all of the world's content, and it's sort of old.
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Umm, since apple introduced the iTunes store almost 10 years ago they have been in the media market, and have largely dominated the digital music scene.

How it will go with books is yet to be seen. I don't think that digital books will replace books at the same volume, more likely replace them, but reduced volume, driven largely by how we consume media as a whole.
 
Interesting. Hopefully it will bring more attention to the iBookstore.

Meanwhile, my own company decided NOT to exhibit at BEA this year. We've been a participant for several years in a row, but it just doesn't seem worth it anymore.
 
alent1234 said:
you have to carry it around, what if you need to carry say 50 books with you?
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My question was just to highlight that sometimes a REAL book will do just fine and playing devil's advocate!

Obviously there are plenty of advantages reading on an ipad, kindle etc., depending on how one looks at it.

I used to fall behind on reading and when I traveled I used to take all the magazines and books, which was quite a heavy load.

Also, I felt bad throwing them out.

Even when you try to donate books to libraries these days many don't want them.

I get it it:)
 
While browsing Apple's website - I think I may have stumbled upon Apple's top secret plans to raise awareness/visibility of the iBookstore, the iBookMobile.

From what I can see, it looks quite magical.
 

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wackymacky said:
I don't think that digital books will replace books at the same volume, more likely replace them, but reduced volume, driven largely by how we consume media as a whole.
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Thought this already happened? Amazon Announces E-books Outsell Paperbacks January 2011.

Netflix has it right. Netflix everywhere. Amazon has it right. Kindle everywhere. Apple has iBooks for the iPhone and iPad. They'll never do Android, RIM, or Windows Phone 7. Heck, iBooks isn't even available on the Mac. It's not even available as a store to browse in iTunes. I think it's pretty clear where Apple's book priorities are, and it isn't at the top of their list. I doubt they will ever be a major player in book sales. It will always be a niche.

It's a shame this is the way we are heading (not Apple, the industry). I'd rather see innovative readers in both hardware an software and be able to purchase books from anyone I want and simply load the books into my reader of choice. Just like you can load your music (DRM free) into any music player - hardware or software - you like.
 
bmturney said:
Lower prices... when I can buy the Kindle version of a book (that I can read in the Kindle app on my iPad) from Amazon for 30% less than in the iBookstore... I won't be buying many (if any) books through the iBookstore
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I've seen this comment so many times its laughable.

Apple DO NOT set the price of the books, the Publishers do - and the price the publisher sets is the price it sells for, not a penny more. Amazon DO NOT set the price of the books, the Publishers do. Amazon DO sometimes (but not always), add fees for things like "whispernet delivery". Stop blaming Apple or Amazon or anyone else and look to the publishers. They, and ONLY they, set the price.

On a side note... YES to iBooks for the Mac and YES the Kindle is still a much better device when it comes to reading books.
 
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