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

[MacRumors]

paidContent reports that Apple is looking to increase the visibility of its iBookstore by participating in the upcoming BookExpo America trade show with a booth in a "prime location" on the exhibit floor. The booth marks Apple's first appearance at the event and a rare appearance by the company at a third-party trade show, especially since its effort to essentially eliminate such participation that culminated in the company exiting Macworld Expo several years ago.

The company has a large booth in a prime location, next door to Scholastic and in the same area as major publishers including Random House, Disney (NYSE: DIS) Book Group and Macmillan. BEA's website notes that Apple will be represented by Scott Simpson from Apple's iBookstore.

Apple is not expected to make any particular product or service announcements at the conference, and is likely attending simply to raise its profile in the e-book market as it seeks to grow share competing against such major players as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Article Link: Apple Raising iBookstore Visibility by Exhibiting at BookExpo America for the First Time

 

[ipedro]

I'm not confident that Apple can win this market. I'm a big Apple fan but I still prefer the look of e-Ink and the simplicity of a single purpose eBook reader.

If Apple begins selling standard format ePub books, that I can interchange between my eReader an iPad and an iPhone, I think that the iBookstore would do better.

 

[nwcs]

If they really want to improve their market share they really need to improve the browsing of items in the iBooks app and allow for searching on the computer. If you're wanting to find things in a sub category like, for example, macro photography, good luck finding what you want. You either have to hope the author put your key words in the title or you have to know the author.

I have both Kindle and iBooks books. My ideal scenario would be to merge the positives of both platforms but right now both have some annoying flaws. e-Ink is great for many things but the iBooks experience is nicer overall.

 

[bmturney]

really want to raise iBooks visibility???

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

 

[Hastings101]

E-Ink is just a thousand times better for reading in my opinion, I think it's nice to not have that bright light a few inches from your face, especially if you decide to lay down and read for an hour or two or outside. I think there was a rumor about Apple somehow making an iPad with the ability to switch between normal and E-Ink but I don't know how that'd be possible.

Until then I'll stick with my own e-reader.

 

[Tones2]

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.

Tony

I'm not confident that Apple can win this market. I'm a big Apple fan but I still prefer the look of e-Ink and the simplicity of a single purpose eBook reader.

If Apple begins selling standard format ePub books, that I can interchange between my eReader an iPad and an iPhone, I think that the iBookstore would do better.

You can do exactly that as WELL as read them on your computer with the Kindle and Kindle device apps, plus get much more content. Why anyone would choose the iBookstore is perplexing to me.

Tony

E-Ink is just a thousand times better for reading in my opinion, I think it's nice to not have that bright light a few inches from your face, especially if you decide to lay down and read for an hour or two or outside. I think there was a rumor about Apple somehow making an iPad with the ability to switch between normal and E-Ink but I don't know how that'd be possible.

Until then I'll stick with my own e-reader.

For reading fiction, I like just using my iPhone (or any smartphone). I always have it with me, I can read with one hand, the font is easy enough to read, I don't have to carry a seperate device around, page turning is lightning fast, and I can read in darker environments with not too large of a light shining on me. eReaders and tablets are just too big.

That said, my wife much prefers an eInk reader because she LIKES that it's bigger and more comparible to a standard book, so it's good to have the options I guess.

Tony

 

[goobot]

Maybe apple will expand their itunes application on the computer to gain access to the store, it would make sense.

 

[Snowy_River]

You can do exactly that as WELL as read them on your computer with the Kindle and Kindle device apps, plus get much more content. Why anyone would choose the iBookstore is perplexing to me.

Tony

I greatly prefer the iBook app, frankly. While the store leaves something (perhaps a lot) to be desired. So, I only load books that I can get from other sources either in open ePub format or in another format that I can translate into ePub using Calibre.

 

[Tones2]

I greatly prefer the iBook app, frankly. While the store leaves something (perhaps a lot) to be desired. So, I only load books that I can get from other sources either in open ePub format or in another format that I can translate into ePub using Calibre.

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

 

[GooMan]

Why anyone would choose the iBookstore is perplexing to me.

I agree 100%. I have purchased 1 book thru iBooks and that was only because it wasn't available on Amazon's Kindle store for some reason. Every time I went to read it I found myself looking through the Kindle app for it before remembering it was in iBooks. At this point iBooks is just an afterthought to me.

 

[NebulaClash]

I hate reading on the Kindle, so it's the iBooks app for me. But I sure wish Amazon would use industry standard epub books so I could buy from Amazon and read on my iPad in the iBooks application. I won't buy from Amazon until they use the standard. I don't want to get locked into proprietary for my book collection.

They can use protection if they wish, but not their own standard.

 

[logandzwon]

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.

 

[OllyW]

I hate reading on the Kindle, so it's the iBooks app for me. But I sure wish Amazon would use industry standard epub books so I could buy from Amazon and read on my iPad in the iBooks application. I won't buy from Amazon until they use the standard. I don't want to get locked into proprietary for my book collection.

They can use protection if they wish, but not their own standard.

Apple uses their own FairPlay DRM on iBooks. They may be ePub files but they are locked to Apple devices.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

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.

 

[Daveoc64]

Apple uses their own FairPlay DRM on iBooks. They may be ePub files but they are locked to Apple devices.

Indeed.

Saying that ePub is a standard is largely irrelevant when everyone's using a non-standard and proprietary DRM system.

In terms of unprotected content, most of it is available in multiple formats (including .mobi which works on the Kindle and ePub which works in iBooks).

If something (unprotected) is in a format your device/software can't read, then you can convert it easily enough.

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.

Bingo.

Apple's policies don't seem to be conducive to any of those three though.

 

[ImNoSuperMan]

E-Ink is just a thousand times better for reading in my opinion, I think it's nice to not have that bright light a few inches from your face, especially if you decide to lay down and read for an hour or two or outside. I think there was a rumor about Apple somehow making an iPad with the ability to switch between normal and E-Ink but I don't know how that'd be possible.

Until then I'll stick with my own e-reader.

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.

 

[NebulaClash]

Apple uses their own FairPlay DRM on iBooks. They may be ePub files but they are locked to Apple devices.

Did you not read my comment? I said I don't care if you want to protect the file, but you must use a standard format. FairPlay is meaningless to me. If Apple ever goes out of business, I'll just break the FairPlay and I have a clean ePub file. No problem.

But Amazons-specific format? Never.

 

[DavidLeblond]

I hate reading on the Kindle, so it's the iBooks app for me. But I sure wish Amazon would use industry standard epub books so I could buy from Amazon and read on my iPad in the iBooks application. I won't buy from Amazon until they use the standard. I don't want to get locked into proprietary for my book collection.

They can use protection if they wish, but not their own standard.

Huh? Isn't iBooks even more limiting than the Kindle?

EDIT: I see your clarification now, didn't refresh before responding. Still, I would prefer to read my book on a multitude of devices instead of 2.

 

[Daveoc64]

Did you not read my comment? I said I don't care if you want to protect the file, but you must use a standard format. FairPlay is meaningless to me. If Apple ever goes out of business, I'll just break the FairPlay and I have a clean ePub file. No problem.

But Amazons-specific format? Never.

I don't see the difference.

If you're going to break the DRM (which is illegal), why wont you take the extra step to convert the book (which is legal)?

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.

The problem with LCDs isn't really low DPI - it's the backlight.

Even with an incredibly high DPI an LCD simply doesn't work the same way as e-ink.

 

[tigress666]

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.

Tony

I like ibooks, I like the reader. But I fully have to agree with the they really need to let you also read ibooks on your computer. Sure, I may not use it that much (I haven't found that I really care about reading ebooks on my computer) but:

1. It allows to compete better with the other ebook readers that allow you to, even if you don't use it much it's still nice to have that option honestly.
2. It can't be that hard to program a reader for the Mac (and PC but maybe that's asking too much of Apple ) as well. Is it really that much to ask to put it at least on the Mac if not the PC (I don't have a PC but I think putting it on the PC is a good move to get more audience)?
3. It allows for a bigger audience.

And agreed on actually increasing book availability (in general I've been able to find most books I want on it as long as there is an ebook version though there was at least one exception). You want people to come to your ebook reader, you actually have to have the ebooks they want to read. Sure, I am using ibooks, but that is cause I'm lucky enough most books I want have been on it (and very few that aren't are offered as ebooks on the other ebook formats, but even I came across at least one instance where Amazon had it and ibooks didn't).

But you're not going to get a large audience if people have to feel lucky (cause they like your reader) that what they want is on your bookstore vs. some other bookstore.

And I'll agree to the complaints about Amazon honestly. I'd buy books from Amazon as they are cheaper (and do have at least one series I want ibooks doesn't) except that it's just too hard to try to convert it into something readable by ibooks. Amazon is helping Apple in this regard if Apple makes a good enough reader cause then if you're like me and prefer ibooks, you just suck it up and buy from ibooks even if Amazon has a cheaper price.

 

[NebulaClash]

I don't see the difference.

If you're going to break the DRM (which is illegal), why wont you take the extra step to convert the book (which is legal)?

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.

 

[tigress666]

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

Sometimes the small touches really make a difference *shrug*.

To each their own .

 

[Thunderhawks]

Is there anything wrong with reading a REAL book?

 

[Dusky600]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; pt-pt) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)

The iBooks store in Portugal suck's . I wish Apple would do something about it. Also the ebook prices should be lower and the ability to move purchases onto other readers like stanza if apple keeps not letting us adjust the damm margins. Also a black background and white letter mode would also be good.

It's what I wish would happen with iBooks. Has a shop kindle is better although it also doesnt let you adjust margins... Has a reader stanza is the best option

 

[tigress666]

Is there anything wrong with reading a REAL book?

(most of these to be fair are more relevant to using an iphone as a reader rather than the heavier ipad. Not sure about Kindle as never used one).

1. Easier to read an ebook with my iphone with one hand (and turn pages with that one hand). Especially nice when trying to eat and read, you can even use no hands when not turning a page (real books you have to try to keep from closing on you with one hand at least, and it is awkward to try to change pages while holding it open all with the same hand).

2. Lighter than most books. Easier to read in bed (holding iphone up above head). Depending on your reader, don't even need a light on or flashlight to read it.

3. This applies to all ebook readers, when travelling, you just have to carry one device. Books tend to start getting heavy and add bulk and size to your pack. Huge huge advantage here imho.

Now, I do realize there is a huge downside to ebooks, if the reader they are made for goes extinct, you no longer have a way to read them as unlike books, they aren't all in one universal format and you are required a reader tool to actually be able to read them (where as you just need the ability to read to read a real book). I'll give paper books that advantage and I'll say it's a pretty big one (which is why I think it's ridiculous ebooks cost as much as real books).