Apple releases iBooks for iPad on App Store
Apple's iBooks application, which includes the iBookstore for purchasing new titles to read on the iPad, is now available for download in the App Store through iTunes.
As a special gift to users, Apple has included a complimentary copy of the classic children's book Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne. An interview with Apple CEO Steve Jobs published this week noted that he was genuinely excited to show off the children's title for the iPad.
"iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books, designed exclusively for iPad," Apple's official description reads. "iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics -- day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark your favorite passages."
iBooks is only available in the U.S. and can only be used on an iPad. Like the App Store, the free, 18.1MB software requires an iTunes Store account. The application supports books in the ePub format, and those who have upgraded to iTunes 9.1 can sync DRM-free ePub documents from outside the iBookstore.
Features of the news software, according to Apple, include:
Download many of your favorite books from the included iBookstore
Read a free sample of any book on the iBookstore before making it part of your collection
Reorder your books on your bookshelf or browse them in a list sorted by title, author or category
Easily adjust your screen brightness to find the perfect lighting for any environment
Change the font size and pick from five included type faces to make your books more comfortable to read
Find a word, character, or phrase anywhere in your book with the built-in search feature
Quickly find a specific page using the page navigator at the bottom of every page
Highlight your favorite passages with the built-in bookmarking feature
Add books in the industry-standard ePub electronic book format to iTunes and sync them to iPad
iBooks supports amazing accessibility features in iPad, such as speaking the words on a given page
Apple's iBooks application, which includes the iBookstore marketplace, will not come preinstalled on the iPad, and must be downloaded from the App Store. One recent study found that one third of potential iPad buyers intend to use the device to read books and newspapers.
Introduced when the iPad was unveiled in January, the iBookstore includes major book publishers HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. In addition to major publishers, there are avenues for self-published authors to make their content available on the iPad's exclusive store.
The store will also come with 30,000 free e-books from Project Gutenberg. The public domain titles will be available without charge, and will head off any attempts by third parties to profit from literature that is freely available.
iBooks will not be the only bookstore option on the iPad: Amazon has revealed that it will release a Kindle e-book application, and Barnes & Noble has also planned its own software for Apple's new device.
As a special gift to users, Apple has included a complimentary copy of the classic children's book Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne. An interview with Apple CEO Steve Jobs published this week noted that he was genuinely excited to show off the children's title for the iPad.
"iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books, designed exclusively for iPad," Apple's official description reads. "iBooks includes the iBookstore, where you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics -- day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark your favorite passages."
iBooks is only available in the U.S. and can only be used on an iPad. Like the App Store, the free, 18.1MB software requires an iTunes Store account. The application supports books in the ePub format, and those who have upgraded to iTunes 9.1 can sync DRM-free ePub documents from outside the iBookstore.
Features of the news software, according to Apple, include:
Download many of your favorite books from the included iBookstore
Read a free sample of any book on the iBookstore before making it part of your collection
Reorder your books on your bookshelf or browse them in a list sorted by title, author or category
Easily adjust your screen brightness to find the perfect lighting for any environment
Change the font size and pick from five included type faces to make your books more comfortable to read
Find a word, character, or phrase anywhere in your book with the built-in search feature
Quickly find a specific page using the page navigator at the bottom of every page
Highlight your favorite passages with the built-in bookmarking feature
Add books in the industry-standard ePub electronic book format to iTunes and sync them to iPad
iBooks supports amazing accessibility features in iPad, such as speaking the words on a given page
Apple's iBooks application, which includes the iBookstore marketplace, will not come preinstalled on the iPad, and must be downloaded from the App Store. One recent study found that one third of potential iPad buyers intend to use the device to read books and newspapers.
Introduced when the iPad was unveiled in January, the iBookstore includes major book publishers HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. In addition to major publishers, there are avenues for self-published authors to make their content available on the iPad's exclusive store.
The store will also come with 30,000 free e-books from Project Gutenberg. The public domain titles will be available without charge, and will head off any attempts by third parties to profit from literature that is freely available.
iBooks will not be the only bookstore option on the iPad: Amazon has revealed that it will release a Kindle e-book application, and Barnes & Noble has also planned its own software for Apple's new device.
Comments
hope it comes to the iphone later this year
Don't count on it
hope it comes to the iphone later this year
Don't count on it
Agreed.
For a company that works to make their products as easy to use as possible... I am perplexed that they did not include this as pre-installed software. Especially, since the iBookstore can only be accessed through this App. I guess I had read that before - but I am surprised they did not keep the bookstore within the iTunes eco-system.
perhaps some kind of anti trust/monopoly decision? This way they are competing equally against the other bookstores... but then again, music and movies.. sigh.
hope it comes to the iphone later this year
I hope it comes to the Mac.
perhaps some kind of anti trust/monopoly decision? This way they are competing equally against the other bookstores... but then again, music and movies.. sigh.
Or perhaps the iBook app will be updated more frequently than the rest of the OS?
C.
For a company that works to make their products as easy to use as possible... I am perplexed that they did not include this as pre-installed software. Especially, since the iBookstore can only be accessed through this App. I guess I had read that before - but I am surprised they did not keep the bookstore within the iTunes eco-system.
The books available on the iBook app is country specific. As such, until Apple gets some rights from each country's publishers, the app would be useless.
To open an iTunes Store account, you must provide a valid payment method, such as a credit card, and a valid billing address. The iTunes Store is not available in all countries. To open an account, your payment method and billing address must be from same country as the iTunes Store you use. You can also purchase from the iTunes Store using an iTunes Gift Card, iTunes gift certificate, or allowance. To learn how to create an iTunes Store account with a gift, see iTunes gift options.http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2731
"iBooks is an amazing way to download and read books,
I disagree. IMO, iBooks is magical. But I guess anything that is magical is also amazing. But OTOH, I am not amazed that Apple can do Magic.
For a company that works to make their products as easy to use as possible... I am perplexed that they did not include this as pre-installed software. Especially, since the iBookstore can only be accessed through this App. I guess I had read that before - but I am surprised they did not keep the bookstore within the iTunes eco-system.
Personally, I'm glad that Apple has cut down on the number of default apps. There are more than a half-dozen unused default apps on my iPod touch I'd love to delete and leave more space for things I actually WANT and will USE.
It's dead-simple to download iBooks, or a weather or stock app, or whatever. So, why not leave it up to the user to decide.
It's dead-simple to download iBooks, or a weather or stack app, or whatever. So, why not leave it up to the user to decide.
I wish other people would see it that way.
I wish other people would see it that way.
It's also more Mac-like!
Death to Kindle App!
Or perhaps the iBook app will be updated more frequently than the rest of the OS?
C.
That was my guess. Perhaps Apple wants be able to update the iBook app via the same mechanism used with 3rd party apps. Or maybe it's related to the "buy in app" architecture.
Either way, since it's free, it's no big deal.
Personally, I'm glad that Apple has cut down on the number of default apps. There are more than a half-dozen unused default apps on my iPod touch I'd love to delete and leave more space for things I actually WANT and will USE.
It's dead-simple to download iBooks, or a weather or stock app, or whatever. So, why not leave it up to the user to decide.
Their calculator app is very good though. I would have liked to see that redone for the aPad. I've tried others, including a couple of highly rated ones, but I always come back to Apple's.
As far as the limited Stocks and Weather apps go, well, they're pretty simple, and won't be missed by anyone. If you want stock info, the major exchanges offer it, as does Bloombergs, which is also free.
Weather is offered with an excellent app from the Weather Channel, again free, as well as from a number of others.
When Apple's apps offer a better experience, I would like to see that, but when they're just there in the beginning to give people something until others spring up that are better, then they can be eliminated. I wouldn't mind seeing Apple remove them from the phone and Touch as well.
Or perhaps the iBook app will be updated more frequently than the rest of the OS?
it makes sense to have the apps independent of the OS. especially those that aren't considered universal like itunes and email.
plus as noted it could have the added bonus of silencing Amazon etc about antitrust. I choose to download ibooks, it wasn't forced on me.
Although in my dream world it would have been but it would be an integrated reader for various types of ebooks and the buying would have been independent like the apps store is.
i guess so long as my comics don't end up being separate apps filling up my home screens. Some of the indies are but the majors are doing it in app and will hopefully stay that way
When Apple's apps offer a better experience, I would like to see that, but when they're just there in the beginning to give people something until others spring up that are better, then they can be eliminated. I wouldn't mind seeing Apple remove them from the phone and Touch as well.
Still, they should be optional. I would remove all the music, photo and video apps from my iPod touch if I could... I've got a Mac for that.
I think it would also help change the perception of the "Apple Walled Garden" where all is controlled by the Mighty Jobs?.
But thank Abster2core for the link. I'll try to see if I'll succedd to have an US account.