Itunes 9.1 Released; Allows importing of books in Epub format

[olddumbguy]

Just downloaded and installed iTunes 9.1 and tried out the new book feature. I am able to get iTunes to recognize my epub books (by pointing it towards my Calibre library), I cant seem to figure out how to open them thru iTunes. And what about PDFs? It scanned thru them but doesnt appear to have saved them anywhere.

[GJN]

Yes, it did recognize and input my ePub books, taking them from my Calibre library as well as other locations to which I pointed. Within iTunes one can manipulate and change a book's metadata, which is good. It remains to be seen whether the iTunes metadata will then be the ones displayed on the iPad. There is no built-in ePub reader in iTunes.

How one gets PDFs into the iPad and whether there will be an Adobe Reader or equivalent remains to be seen. I'm glad to see that my ePub books (I don't have any DRMed ones) can be transferred to the iPad.

[Barcey]

It didn't create a new folder in the iTunes directory for "iTunes Books" and just added the epub books in the "iTunes Music" folder.

The pdf don't get added in the new "Books" library but it does import them into iTunes. If you bought an album from iTunes with a booklet it was probably a pdf, it handles them the same way except they aren't associated with an album. They'd be hard to find and cleanup if you import everything.

[Tom Swift]

I just imported an ePub book purchased on the Sony site a few days ago and it imported fine but did not import the cover page and it could not find the cover.

[JSWolf]

I wonder if iBook will run on the iPod Touch.

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by Barcey

It didn't create a new folder in the iTunes directory for "iTunes Books" and just added the epub books in the "iTunes Music" folder.

Probably because "iTunes Music" is a deprecated remnant; new installations now have an "iTunes Media" folder instead.

[HarryT]

One tip, by the way, about iTunes 9.1. If, as I do, you use it to convert other formats to MP3, don't panic when you right click on a file and "Convert to MP3" is no longer on the pop-up menu; it's moved to the "Advanced" menu on the main menu bar.

[tobarefeet]

Does this mean that Itunes 9.1 will take my mobi books from Calibre, so that once I get an iPad 3g I will be able to move those books to Kindle in iPad?

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by tobarefeet

Does this mean that Itunes 9.1 will take my mobi books from Calibre, so that once I get an iPad 3g I will be able to move those books to Kindle in iPad?

No. You could use Calibre to convert them to ePub, then add them to your iTunes library; they would then work with the iBooks app. Or (if they're purchased from Amazon) you can download them directly from the Kindle app. But Amazon's app probably isn't going to allow sideloading.

[tobarefeet]

Ok, so basically use epub for non-Amazon ebooks via iBook, and Kindle for Amazon ebooks. Thats kind of a drag to have to have your ebooks in 2 separate applications.
I'm not sure I follow on the Amazon sideloading reasoning? What's the difference between converting to mobi and moving them to my kindle 2 now and taking those exact same mobi ebooks from Calibre and moving them into itunes then to kindle on ipad?
I'm learning that it's often too painful to try and follow Apple or Amazon's logic.

[riemann42]

This may be answered elsewhere, but what DRM scheme is apple using?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by riemann42

This may be answered elsewhere, but what DRM scheme is apple using?

Fairplay.

BOb

[sachinwalia]

I usually keep my itunes folder in their own folder to avoid multiple copies under preferences --> advanced there is an option to check off if you don't want itunes to import it in its own folder. its a waste of space IMO to keep it in 2 places

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by sachinwalia

I usually keep my itunes folder in their own folder to avoid multiple copies under preferences --> advanced there is an option to check off if you don't want itunes to import it in its own folder. its a waste of space IMO to keep it in 2 places

Does it copy it or move it. Here from the help:

Copy an item to the iTunes Media folder when you drag the item to the iTunes window or choose File > “Add to Library.”
If you want items to appear in iTunes but also be kept in their original location, deselect this checkbox. You could, for example, keep music imported from CDs on your computer’s hard disc, and save your video files on an external hard disc.

It seems to be saying if you want to keep the file in its original location deselect the check box. That implies to me that if you have it checked the original is moved to the iTunes library folder.

Then again, I've never imported music into iTunes. I basically have used it to d/l podcasts and rip Audio Books on CD and the rips get put into the iTunes library... where God Jobs intended.

BOb

[ATimson]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

It seems to be saying if you want to keep the file in its original location deselect the check box. That implies to me that if you have it checked the original is moved to the iTunes library folder.

Nope. If that's checked, the file will be copied to the iTunes library folder, and iTunes will always use the copy. If it's unchecked, iTunes will reference the file in its original location (so if you move it, you'll have to tell iTunes where it is now).