Free books

[jbcohen]

I am going to talk with some of my pals who use a lot of apple products and I want to talk with them from the basis that I know what I am talking about. Does apple provide many free books? When I say many I typically mean that when you sort the books available on price there is atleast three or four in each genre that are free. Are there any sorts of books that apple tends to make available free? I will not be making any value statements simply talking from fact, we will be dicussing some of the lates innovations in computer technology and since apple tends to use a lot of cutting edge components we talk a lot of apple products. No doubt we will talk about the ipad three's touch screen.

[ilovejedd]

Do you mean on iBooks? Usually the same free ones you get on the Kindle and Nook. Course, there's a Kindle, Nook and Kobo app for iOS so you don't even have to bother with iBooks.

[tecweston]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Do you mean on iBooks? Usually the same free ones you get on the Kindle and Nook. Course, there's a Kindle, Nook and Kobo app for iOS so you don't even have to bother with iBooks.

Unless you're buying graphic novels. There was a comic I wanted to buy that was available on Kindle, until I realized it wouldn't even let me purchase it because I don't have a Kindle Fire. I had to install the iBooks app so I could buy it from them instead (it's not available on Comixology).

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by tecweston

Unless you're buying graphic novels.

For now that is. No doubt Amazon will add support for the Android and iOS apps in the future. Scratch that. Apparently, Android is already supported. We'll probably see support for iOS sooner or later.

Nook Comics used to only be available for the Nook Color/Tablet. Now, they've added support for the Nook for Android app and they've mentioned they will be adding comic support to the Nook for iOS app in the future. I tried disinfecting some Nook Comic purchases and was pleasantly surprised to find that the normal set of cleaning tools work just fine.

Gonna have to try with Kindle next. Right now, the camps seem to be divided: DC for Kindle and Marvel for Nook.

Originally Posted by tecweston

There was a comic I wanted to buy that was available on Kindle, until I realized it wouldn't even let me purchase it because I don't have a Kindle Fire. I had to install the iBooks app so I could buy it from them instead (it's not available on Comixology).

I'm curious, what graphic novel was that? Didn't even know there were graphic novels on iBooks.

[jbcohen]

ILoveJoy - Can you get any books free that I can not get with my Kindle? I don't want to be caught claiming that apple users can't get a book free where as I can with my kindle, however I would like to be able to say if you can get some books free via ibooks that I can't get via amazon. Essentially I would like to be able to talk like I know what I am talking about, where as free books are concerned.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Can you get any books free that I can not get with my Kindle?

Not that I've noticed although it's possible.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

I don't want to be caught claiming that apple users can't get a book free where as I can with my kindle, however I would like to be able to say if you can get some books free via ibooks that I can't get via amazon.

In general, iBooks seems to get the same free books as all the other major ebook stores. I guess the only exception would be some Amazon exclusive indie titles.

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Essentially I would like to be able to talk like I know what I am talking about, where as free books are concerned.

Why pretend? There's nothing wrong with admitting you're not familiar with something. I mean, if you don't have an iOS device, how would you know which ebooks are available free on iBooks? Anything that's available DRM-free, you would be able to read on iBooks. Even if the DRM-free ebook is not in EPUB fomat, it's easy enough to convert. Unless you plan on cross-referencing every free title on Kindle and iBooks (and check whether DRM-free versions available free for download on the web), I don't see how you can make an absolute claim one way or the other.

As mentioned though, just because it's not available on iBooks doesn't mean you won't be able to get it on the iPad or other iOS device. Aside from comics, all ebooks I've gotten from the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook stores were readable on the Kindle and Nook apps for iOS.

[tecweston]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

I'm curious, what graphic novel was that? Didn't even know there were graphic novels on iBooks.

Wolves by Becky Cloonan. I didn't know iBooks had comics either, but when I complained to Ms. Cloonan on Twitter that I couldn't buy the book on Kindle, she told me its on iBookstore as well.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Can you get any books free that I can not get with my Kindle?

Yes, iBooks users can have more-or-less exclusive, or at least not-free-at-Amazon books.

There's a special iBooks-only multimedia edition of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine which is one of their top freebies, and there are some read-along kids' picture books which have only shown up free for NookTablet and iBooks, and there are some books from smaller backlist re-publishers which are free which occasionally get pricematched at Amazon and sometimes Kobo.

Also, since the IPG contract dispute, Amazon no longer carries their books, so freebies from Medallion Press and other imprints they distribute are only available via B&N, Sony, and iTunes.

However, generally free books are a function of the publishers who give them away, not of the store which generally does not re-set prices without publisher prompting.

[kyteflyer]

I really have NO idea why anyone would bother making any challenges to Apple product in this field. Unless they are out to prove to their mates that there's something "less" about Apple products.

I note that jbcohen also issued a Challenge to Apple Users some weeks back, and never returned to that thread to make comment or ask more questions... .

I ask you, jbcohen... why? Why do you want to challenge your apple using friends?

On the matter of free books, its completely irrelevant what Apple allows us to buy or get for free, because we also have access to most of whats on kindle and nook as well. In other words, we are NOT in some imaginary "walled garden" where books are concerned.

[vaughnmr]

I was having to reset my grandson's ipod touch the other day, and I looked on iBooks for free kid's ebooks (couldn't find any). How do you search for free ebooks on apple?

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by vaughnmr

I was having to reset my grandson's ipod touch the other day, and I looked on iBooks for free kid's ebooks (couldn't find any). How do you search for free ebooks on apple?

Don't restrict yourself to iBooks. There are many more apps in the app store, many are free, and many will allow you to plug in the catalog entry for project gutenberg which has bazillions of free books for adults and children.

The problem with the iBooks store is that there are many books there which you can buy for a nominal fee, but which are legally free from other sources, such as gutenberg.