Apple's iBooks Platform Seeing 1 Million New Users Per Week After iOS 8

[ron7624]

I'm just glad we can put them in folders, I hated not being able to hide Newstand in a folder.

I Wondered if Apple would ever have a toggle in the the settings menu to hide the built in apps. A bit of a compromise, they still come built in by default but the user can ultimately hide those apps, without being able to completely remove them.

I have a last page on all of my iOS devices that hold the apps that I don't often use but don't want to delete. I also use it for the Apple apps that I don't use in addition to apps that I download because they look like something I would use, but don't have time to explore yet etc...

Not a good as completely hiding the app but it is out of the way, and still there for you in the event you want to explore it later.

 

[Kar98]

Why locking yourself into the Amazon ecosystem is any better than locking yourself in Apple ecosystem.

For starters, the Kindle app is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, and OSX. iBooks app is only available for iOS and OSX.

 

[RedOrchestra]

For starters, the Kindle app is available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, and OSX. iBooks app is only available for iOS and OSX.

Thanks, Kar98, I was just going to post the exact same thing.

If Apple really wants to be competitive, why don't they make an iBooks App for other operating systems.

When I started using iBooks, I didn't know I would be going as deep as I have - honing in on 200 books - I am now enslaved to owning some current iOS or OSX device even if I choose to buy something else.

 

[Terrin]

Didn't MS get sued by the EU for something like this with Internet Explorer?

Yes, but only because Microsoft had a monopoly with Windows that it was leveraging to advance Explorer. Apple doesn't have a monopoly with its phone OS.

 

[RedOrchestra]

I don't care about the so-called lock in. I have no intention of ever buying an Android phone or tablet.

This is akin to 'I don't care about all those police surveillance cameras, I have nothing to hide.'

 

[Kar98]

Thanks, Kar98, I was just going to post the exact same thing.

If Apple really wants to be competitive, why don't they make an iBooks App for other operating systems.

When I started using iBooks, I didn't know I would be going as deep as I have - honing in on 200 books - I am now enslaved to owning some current iOS or OSX device even if I choose to buy something else.

Oh! And obv I forgot about the Kindle-branded devices, in addition to the multi-platform Kindle app.

 

[luckysob]

Still using iOS 7. Still loving the Kindle Paperwhite.

 

[MacCruiskeen]

Good info. Other than the vertical scrolling another commenter mentioned, I was curious if there were any advantages to iBooks.

I guess it depends on what kinds of books you're reading. I work in ebook production for an academic publisher, and getting things to work in iBooks is generally easier than the Kindle. We have a book with video enhancements that we don't even offer on Amazon right now because, Kindle. MathML works on iBooks, but not Kindle. Javascript, same. SVG sorta works on Kindle, but no pinch-zoom, which sorta defeats the purpose. Works better on iBooks, but we've had some issues. Tables work better on iBooks. iBooks typography is better because CSS support is better. No reader I know of supports Opentype features, which is a drag. iBooks will take ePub files, Kindle requires its own proprietary format. I could go on an on like this, but I think you get the idea.

 

[s2mikey]

Thanks, Kar98, I was just going to post the exact same thing.

If Apple really wants to be competitive, why don't they make an iBooks App for other operating systems.

When I started using iBooks, I didn't know I would be going as deep as I have - honing in on 200 books - I am now enslaved to owning some current iOS or OSX device even if I choose to buy something else.

Yes, you will and that's a bunch of crap. It's why I always hated iTunes and buying music through them.

I use iBooks strictly for PDF reading and it does a fine job but for any books or magazine subscriptions I use kindle or zinio.

 

[technosix]

I buy a lot of eBooks. I've not found a single book cheaper on iBooks than Amazon which is why I quickly ditched iBooks a long time ago.

I also buy a huge volume of books, so in my case I save a very significant amount of money. Why Apple charges so much is puzzling.

By purchasing exclusively Kindle from Amazon I can share them amongst friends and family since Kindle Reader Apps are available for every different platform. I've tried iBooks simply because I have been a long time Apple customer, but I don't see any advantage. The Kindle Reader App works great and I prefer it's features over iBooks.

Finally I'm already putting most of my eggs in one basket with all the Apple gear I own. Therefore it's nice not to have my vast treasured library come from Apple.

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Still using iOS 7. Still loving the Kindle Paperwhite.

I love my light compact Paperwhite

 

[Macist]

DON'T DO IT - don't get started on the iBooks App, you'll forever lose control of the books to Apple. Use the Kindle App for Mac, buy only Kindle ebooks (same price, better / more selections) and if you want to switch to an Android phone or tablet, later, your books move with you.

No truer words than those from Hotel California;

'We are programmed to receive.
You can check out any time you like,
But you just can never leave!'

And if you want some other brand of eReader strip the DRM and take 'em with you.

And I only want to read text-heavy books on eInk. How can I read iBooks on eInk? I can't.

 

[RedOrchestra]

And if you want some other brand of eReader strip the DRM and take 'em with you.

I haven't seen anyone post success stripping the iBooks DRM.

So as not to offend anyone's sensibilities, the stripping of DRMs is illegal.

 

[MacCruiskeen]

I haven't seen anyone post success stripping the iBooks DRM.

So as not to offend anyone's sensibilities, the stripping of DRMs is illegal.

iBooks uses FairPlay DRM and FairPlay has been broken for a long time. Yes, stripping DRM is illegal but if you do it for 'fair use' purposes (such as backing up personal copies you paid for) you are unlikely to be prosecuted for it. The ethics of DRM stripping is its own topic of course that has been debated to death already. The simpleset solution is not to buy ebooks that have DRM. Personally, I am not an enthusiastic buyer of ebooks anyway since it is far from a mature technology. ANd mostly these days I just buy cookbooks anyway. When there's a completely kitchen-safe ipad maybe I'll get more into it. For everything else there's the library.

 

[Nickerbocker]

I avoid iBooks because they are not cross-platform. I've been an exclusive iOS user since 2008, and this and movies are things I avoid buying on iTunes. I buy DRM free music regularly, though.

 

[69650]

I also buy a huge volume of books, so in my case I save a very significant amount of money. Why Apple charges so much is puzzling.

By purchasing exclusively Kindle from Amazon I can share them amongst friends and family since Kindle Reader Apps are available for every different platform. I've tried iBooks simply because I have been a long time Apple customer, but I don't see any advantage. The Kindle Reader App works great and I prefer it's features over iBooks.

Finally I'm already putting most of my eggs in one basket with all the Apple gear I own. Therefore it's nice not to have my vast treasured library come from Apple.

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I love my light compact Paperwhite

Totally agree with you on not putting all your eggs in one basket. I much prefer to keep my options open with cross platform apss. I use PocketMags & Zinio for eMagazines, Amazon for eBooks, Netflix for movies and Spotify for music. I can watch/read/listen to all of my content on any device.

 

[Traverse]

1st party bloatware!

It's not bloatware if users use/enjoy the apps. It takes a minuscule amout of space. I agree that Apple should allow a hide toggle, but it hardly bloats the device.