Apple introduces iBooks store for iPad

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Alongside the new iPad tablet-style device, Apple on Wednesday introduced its own proprietary virtual bookstore, dubbed iBooks, for reading content on the device's 9.7-inch color display.



Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated the application, which features a 3D virtual bookshelf with a user's personal collection. He then browsed a number of books available on the New York Times bestseller list.



Samples of books can be viewed before they are purchased, and downloaded content is placed onto the iPad's virtual bookshelf.



"If you've used iTunes or the App Store, you're already familiar with this," Jobs said.



When reading a book, users just tap anywhere on the right to flip forward, and tap on the left side of the screen to flip back.



Five Major Book Partners

HarperCollins Publishers

Hachette Book Group

Penguin

Macmillan

Simon & Shuster







Mentioned during the presentation were HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette Book Group. Jobs said there are more to come.



"We're going to open the flood gates for the rest of the publishers in the world starting this afternoon," he said.



iBooks will be available on the iPad when it launches in the U.S. It will feature titles from major and independent publishers.



"Watch movies, TV shows and YouTube, all in HD or flip through pages of an e-book you downloaded from Apple?s new iBookstore while listening to your music collection," an Apple press release states.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 50
    my rating has gone to 7/10 can use iwork on the tablet.
  • Reply 2 of 50
    Dammit Apple, why didn't you just name the freggin' thing iBook instead of iPad? IPAD, I mean, come on, it sounds like something made by Tampax for crying out loud!
  • Reply 3 of 50
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by souliisoul View Post


    my rating has gone to 7/10 can use iwork on the tablet.



    You will have to pay for it... $9.99 each.
  • Reply 4 of 50
    So... no McGraw-Hill? \
  • Reply 5 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    You will have to pay for it... $9.99 each.



    thats fine by me, never expect anything free, but I have dropped my rating to 6/10 due to AT&T being data plan provider!
  • Reply 6 of 50
    $499... that's unexpected
  • Reply 7 of 50
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by souliisoul View Post


    thats fine by me, never expect anything free, but I have dropped my rating to 6/10 due to AT&T being data plan provider!



    It is not locked to AT&T. It can be used with any GSM carrier.
  • Reply 8 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Mentioned during the presentation were HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette Book Group.



    No other publishers mentioned? Just those five, eh? I dunno, seems to me like there could have been even one more there... hmm...
  • Reply 9 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhowarth View Post


    $499... that's unexpected



    To start, anyway at 16GB.$499

    $599 for 32GB, $699 for 64GB. With 3G, add $130 to each. So: $629, $729, and $829.
  • Reply 10 of 50
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Banalltv View Post


    No other publishers mentioned? Just those five, eh? I dunno, seems to me like there could have been even one more there... hmm...



    Clearly Jobs was pissed about the comments yesterday on CNBC. I'm sure the Apple lawyers had worked in stipulations that if anyone were to release product information before the event, Apple would have the right to sever the agreement.
  • Reply 11 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    It is not locked to AT&T. It can be used with any GSM carrier.



    I know, but just mentioning AT&T irritates me. I don't live in States anymore, so I hope the International plans as stated by Jobs will be much better!
  • Reply 12 of 50
    tofinotofino Posts: 697member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhowarth View Post


    So... no McGraw-Hill? \



    lol. yup.
  • Reply 13 of 50
    I wonder if you'll be able to highlight text of the books?
  • Reply 14 of 50
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Besides aluminium, the only other prediction I got. Disappointed the stand isn't built in, as I think there was a elegant solution, but I suppose that case is a workable compromise.
  • Reply 15 of 50
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ibookmark View Post


    I wonder if you'll be able to highlight text of the books?



    Good question ... I like to markup my books when I read them, especially textbooks so I don't have to re-read anything in the event I need to go back to a book or chapter.
  • Reply 16 of 50
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ibookmark View Post


    I wonder if you'll be able to highlight text of the books?



    I'm sure you can, and if you can't they'll add it.
  • Reply 17 of 50
    irelandireland Posts: 17,799member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rhowarth View Post


    $499... that's unexpected



    I think we now know why they bought PA Semi, not for power as such, but more so so they could sell it that cheap. They are risking cannibalizing Mac sales because they think this thing will sell bucket loads.
  • Reply 18 of 50
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I'm sure you can, and if you can't they'll add it.



    The reason I wonder about it. I know you can't do that with a Kindle and as another responder noted to my question, I too like to highlight text as I go. Esp with Journal articles that I have to read for work (but journal articles are another question entirely)
  • Reply 19 of 50
    I teach a class in which the printed textbook is ~$150 and the online version is ~$50-75. It definitely had some nice interactive options, including marking lines in highlighter and putting post-its in the margins; but the interface for those options seemed pretty clunky. I'm sure highlighting with your finger will be simple on the iPad. And there's probably a quick way to have the keyboard popup to annotate the margins. My sense is that for $500, these things could pay for themselves over a college career as more texts become available in a cheaper e-version.
  • Reply 20 of 50
    estyleestyle Posts: 201member
    Now they can take their textbooks and computer to class and track twitter & facebook even while the are reading from their textbook. Awesome!



    Plus think of all the money to be saved in chiropractic bills without those giant backpacks of paper books.



    The next thing is for Libraries to push for a ipad book-loan system. That would be pretty amazing as well.

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