Steve Jobs Didn't Want an iBookstore, but the iPad and Eddy Cue Changed His Mind

[MacRumors]

Testifying in court yesterday as part of the ongoing e-books price fixing trial, Apple senior vice president for Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue offered some perspective on the history of iBooks and the iBookstore, noting that Steve Jobs was initially opposed to such a project. As shared by AllThingsD, Cue noted that it wasn't until just prior to the launch of the iPad that he was able to convince Jobs of the potential of e-books.

"... When I got my first chance to touch the iPad, I became completely convinced that this was a huge opportunity for us to build the best e-reader that the market had ever seen," Cue said. "And so I went to Steve and told him why I thought [the iPad] was going to be a great device for ebooks. ... and after some discussions he came back and said, you know, I think you're right. I think this is great, and then he started coming up with ideas himself about what he wanted to do with it and how it would be even better as a reader and store."

Cue had initially suggested an e-book effort earlier in the fall of 2009, but Jobs felt that the iPhone's screen was too small to allow for a good user experience and that the Mac didn't feel like a reading device. By the time Jobs was on board, it was November, and the iPad was scheduled for a January introduction, giving Cue just weeks to line up the deals needed to build the iBookstore.

In relating the story, Cue noted that getting the iBookstore deals done took on special significance for him, as it was obvious that Jobs was in declining health at the time. Jobs had taken a strong interest in iBooks for iPad, and was committed to showing it off at the iPad media event, giving Cue extra incentive to make sure everything was in place.

Article Link: Steve Jobs Didn't Want an iBookstore, but the iPad and Eddy Cue Changed His Mind

 

[Tankmaze]

And Cue also convinced Jobs about the iPad mini. Cue is a very persuasive man.
And also an asset to Apple

 

[TMay]

And Cue also convinced Jobs about the iPad mini. Cue is a very persuasive man.
And also an asset to Apple

...and as a board member of Ferrari...

 

[Madmic23]

I liked it better when an iBook was a laptop.

I really wish Apple would have just partnered with Amazon for the ebook side of things.

 

[Eduardo1971]

Great to have iBooks as an option on my iMac.

On a separate note WWDC 2013 will remembered as the first true post-Jobs keynote. So many changes that Jobs would probably not have green-lighted if he was around.

 

[phoenixsan]

Well.....

truly greatness is showed sometimes seeing greatness in the people what works for us or with us. Steve always showed a great insight for good ideas. So, well done for Mr. Cue and Mr. Jobs.

Break the Amazon monopoly is a good thing to do, so, why not and what if...?......

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

Funny. SJ also didn't want a 7" iPad, iOS on ARM, ect.
Guy didn't want/wanted a lot of things that were bad.

 

[street.cory]

Just goes to show that he did value other people's opinion even if he was extremely stubborn at times.

 

[DavidMarks]

He was an oldschool guy with an eye for technology. He probably thought real books were better than books on a screen.

 

[LethalWolfe]

This helps explain Jobs' switch from "No one reads anymore" to "Hey, look at our awesome eReader!" Previously I thought it was just the typical "we don't make it therefore it sucks" PR speak.

 

[emulator]

He was an oldschool guy with an eye for technology. He probably thought real books were better than books on a screen.

Definitely more valuable than a digital file.

 

[juanmanas]

SJ only said no to iBooks on iPhone, not ipad, which I think it was the right thing to do.

 

[iMikeT]

It's a good thing that Steve Jobs surrounded himself with A+ people.

 

[Rocketman]

On a separate note WWDC 2013 will remembered as the first true post-Jobs keynote.

The recurring theme of the keynote was "the next 10 years". The changes are both perceived and functional.

 

[daneoni]

And Cue also convinced Jobs about the iPad mini. Cue is a very persuasive man.
And also an asset to Apple

Cue also persuaded iTunes/store on Windows. IIRC.

 

[Evan_11]

SJ only said no to iBooks on iPhone, not ipad, which I think it was the right thing to do.

That was on a low res, 3.5" screen. Reading on the iPhone 5 screen is actually pretty good. That and you always have your phone where as a full size iPad is rather bulky and heavy and you're less likely to take it with you.

 

[petrucci666]

That was on a low res, 3.5" screen. Reading on the iPhone 5 screen is actually pretty good. That and you always have your phone where as a full size iPad is rather bulky and heavy and you're less likely to take it with you.

The iPad is heavy? As opposed to what - the iPhone? They serve two different purposes. It's a tablet, it's meant to be portable.

 

[gnasher729]

Definitely more valuable than a digital file.

I have a few hundred kilograms of books in my garage. No space for them. I would swap them for eBooks in a second.

 

[Jimmy James]

It sounds like Jobs generally took an adversarial position and it was great persuaders who convinced him to release certain products.

 

[juanmanas]

That was on a low res, 3.5" screen. Reading on the iPhone 5 screen is actually pretty good. That and you always have your phone where as a full size iPad is rather bulky and heavy and you're less likely to take it with you.

You are right. But I believe that happened well before the iPhone 5.

 

[kdarling]

I have a few hundred kilograms of books in my garage. No space for them. I would swap them for eBooks in a second.

As much as I love being able to carry many books digitally, I also still like having paper versions of many of them.

For one thing, it's a lot easier to loan out a paper book

I can also sell or give them away if I don't want them any more.

Moreover, I can lay out two or more books open to pages I'm doing research on, next to each other. (If I had an infinitely expandable tablet screen, that would work too.)

So I'm torn between the space they take up, and their benefits to me as separate blocks of info.

--

There's also my huge collection of old aerial navigation books that are simply not available digitally (although some are now due to copyright lapsing), which also have great historical physical value.

 

[anomie]

The iPad is heavy? As opposed to what - the iPhone? They serve two different purposes. It's a tablet, it's meant to be portable.

Opposed to a real book or real e book reader I would say the iPad is far to heavy.
iPad mini on the other hand has the right weight to use it as a reader.

 

[huges84]

I liked it better when an iBook was a laptop.

I really wish Apple would have just partnered with Amazon for the ebook side of things.

It's called the Kindle app. The point of iBooks is to give competition to Amazon's predatory pricing.

It is also aimed at the education textbook market, where books cost hundreds of dollars and are mistake filled and obsolete. I really hope as iPads get cheaper the competition there heats up and schools and students reap the benefits.

 

[JarJarThomas]

That was on a low res, 3.5" screen. Reading on the iPhone 5 screen is actually pretty good. That and you always have your phone where as a full size iPad is rather bulky and heavy and you're less likely to take it with you.

Don't say anything against the low res 3.5" screen for reading books.
I read many books on them, it was my first ebook reader using stanza.
It was great, always something to read whenever i had to wait somewhere.

Now i read most stuff on my ipad at home and on the 4 (waiting for the 5s, because my wife got the 5) on the go

 

[japanime]

II really wish Apple would have just partnered with Amazon for the ebook side of things.

As a book publisher, I'm grateful that Apple did no such thing. Amazon has already pretty much eliminated all competition from brick-and-mortar bookstores. I shudder to think what would have happened had Amazon and Apple teamed up on ebooks.

The more distribution and sales outlets, the better for everyone — consumers and publishers alike.