Why would anyone buy iBooks and not Kindle books?

[vocaro]

I want to start building up a library of ebooks. I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, so my first thought was the iBookstore. But because Apple doesn't make iBooks for OS X, I'd have to read everything on my iPhone's tiny screen. Yuck!

Then there's the Kindle Store. I have no interest in getting a Kindle device, but Kindle ebooks have some important advantages:

• There's a Kindle app for OS X, so I can read ebooks on my laptop
• There's a larger selection of titles

The advantages of iBooks over Kindle are:

• ???

I don't get it... Why would anyone buy an iBook and not a Kindle ebook? Is there some advantage to the iBookstore that I'm missing?

Thanks

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Apple also has the iPad, for which iBooks was created in the first place, but then iBooks also became available for other iOS devices.
For your needs, the Kindle solution seems to be the better one, but I guess due to iBooks good integration with i-devices, it is preferred by many.

 

[monkeylui]

I just got the kindle fire. I've had a kindle for a long time but I also just bought the kindle touch also. So I'm a big fan of the kindle ecosystem. I've read a few books on iBooks on my iPad, and I don't really like the experience that much. One thing is I wish the would have the white on black option for night reading, like the kindle app. Also I don't like the faux book border of the iBooks books. Distracting for some reason. But I do like the real page #'s, which kindle has, but more importantly I like the pages left in this chapter on iBooks. Is nice to know if I should keep going or stop & go to bed ...lol. iBooks store does have some good deals some times, but generally amazon is cheaper. Plus with kindle device & prime membership you have the kindle lending library. Kindle is also supported by libraries now too. Amazon also always has other great deals on books 100 books for $5 every month, kindle daily deal, etc.

 

[mkrishnan]

Apple also has the iPad, for which iBooks was created in the first place, but then iBooks also became available for other iOS devices.

If I were starting over, I might consider the B&N ecosystem because of how limited Kindle support is for any books that weren't bought at Amazon (they did just add support for Overdrive). I haven't seen/used Google's digitized out-of-print library on a device screen, but it might be better than the free books on Amazon, which tend to be poorly formatted. Then again, B&N is probably less stable a company than Amazon is.

In the future, I could see the situation changing if books with multimedia content really takes off. There, Apple really has more expertise with working with vendors to provide the media rich experience, and if it came to a cookbook with videos and animations or something like that, I could see Apple pulling off a substantially better implementation. For basic books though, and I don't see the fiction novel being changed dramatically by the ebook, Amazon seems like the best option.

 

[miles01110]

The advantages of iBooks over Kindle are:

???

If you want color pictures or any of the interactive features of iBooks you obviously won't get that on a Kindle. It's not a dealbreaker for most people though. The Kindle is far and away the best eReader backed up by the best library.

 

[mkrishnan]

If you want color pictures or any of the interactive features of iBooks you obviously won't get that on a Kindle. It's not a dealbreaker for most people though. The Kindle is far and away the best eReader backed up by the best library.

I don't know how well developed they are, but Amazon rolled this out last summer as a feature of eBooks when they are used on Kindle Apps. See for instance:

http://www.itproportal.com/2010/06/28/amazon-revamps-kindle-iphone-e-book-app/

The Kindle Fire is the first Kindle device that can handle them. I really only buy prose books on the Kindle so I haven't seen too much of the interactive content / can't comment on how it compares to what iBooks offers. I was looking at a homeowner's guide book on Amazon that is due for an update next year (I just bought a house) and something like that would be awesome if it had interactive content.

EDIT: Typical Amazon, but I don't see a way to see what books in the store have embedded content. This is the "New and Hot" list of embedded content books, which includes some prominent ones like Rob Bell's Love Wins.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releas...d_t=101&pf_rd_p=1293484562&pf_rd_i=2248263011

 

[talmy]

I don't get it... Why would anyone buy an iBook and not a Kindle ebook? Is there some advantage to the iBookstore that I'm missing?

Thanks

I don't get it either. It's really strange that iBooks can't be viewed on a Mac but Kindle books can. Why buy a book that can only be read on an iOS device???

 

[bmcgonag]

I guess i'm alone on this, but I like iBooks. I have a decent library going. I wish there was more selection, but I'll give them time. I have nothing against Kindle, or Nook, I just happen to have an iPad, and I like to use it. I have the Nook app on my iPad for the one book that I've purchased because I needed it, and it wasn't available on the iBook Store at the time.

I'm not a huge reader for enjoyment, I read to learn more than anything, so I don't generally need as large a selection. I also like the screen size of the iPad over the Kindle or Nook, but I have bad eyes, and the screen size allows me to increase the text size to a comfortable level without having to turn the page every 7 words like I would on a smaller screen.

That's it I reckon.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

I guess i'm alone on this, but I like iBooks. I have a decent library going. I wish there was more selection, but I'll give them time. I have nothing against Kindle, or Nook, I just happen to have an iPad, and I like to use it. I have the Nook app on my iPad for the one book that I've purchased because I needed it, and it wasn't available on the iBook Store at the time.

I'm not a huge reader for enjoyment, I read to learn more than anything, so I don't generally need as large a selection. I also like the screen size of the iPad over the Kindle or Nook, but I have bad eyes, and the screen size allows me to increase the text size to a comfortable level without having to turn the page every 7 words like I would on a smaller screen.

That's it I reckon.

You don't sound as if you are aware that you can read Kindle books on the iPad?

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I want to start building up a library of ebooks. I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, so my first thought was the iBookstore. But because Apple doesn't make iBooks for OS X, I'd have to read everything on my iPhone's tiny screen. Yuck!

Then there's the Kindle Store. I have no interest in getting a Kindle device, but Kindle ebooks have some important advantages:

• There's a Kindle app for OS X, so I can read ebooks on my laptop
• There's a larger selection of titles

The advantages of iBooks over Kindle are:

• ???

I don't get it... Why would anyone buy an iBook and not a Kindle ebook? Is there some advantage to the iBookstore that I'm missing?

Thanks

Get the Kindle App, for iPad, and buy from both, swat I do

 

[AdeFowler]

I like iBooks and have bought and read about a dozen on my iPad. I'm guessing that the ability to read them on a Mac will come in time.

 

[0098386]

I had a Kindle before iBooks came along, so I'm sticking with that for now. Plus I can view my Kindle books on all my portable devices and computer (if need be. That's kind of important for me.

 

[steve knight]

I had a Kindle before iBooks came along, so I'm sticking with that for now. Plus I can view my Kindle books on all my portable devices and computer (if need be. That's kind of important for me.

this is why I like the kindle too. read on the kindle and in bed on the iphone. Plus my wife and daughter can use the books too. will have the touch kindle 3g tomorrow to play with. you can convert non locked ebooks and read them on the kindle. though they don't sync. Plus the kindle can read your books for you and that benefits my blind wife or if you can't read at the time. Plus you can loan others your books too and read library books.

 

[bmcgonag]

You don't sound as if you are aware that you can read Kindle books on the iPad?

Oh no, I get it. I just prefer to stick with one "ecosystem" if possible. The stray into the B&N was only for the one book, otherwise I try to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to media.

There are already so many options out there, Google Books, other online based "free books", B&N, Kindle, iBooks, and on and on.

I just don't need all of that selection (yet).