Apple Targeting Amazon

[GlenBarrington]

MacRumors: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/25...gned-book-app/

Good luck with that, Apple, but I don't think it's going to be successful. You might attract some die hard Apple fans who are casual readers. But I can't see serious readers (those who buy a lot of books) willing to leave the established already successful channels.

To me, a good bookstore has to be more than a convenient app.

[JSWolf]

If Apple was responsible, they'd help to do away with Agency Pricing (even though it was Apple's fault in the first place).

[Deskisamess]

I love Apple products, but have no interest in buying books from Apple. With no way to read their books on non Apple devices, I don't see how they can really compete with already established stores. Isn't it also much more difficult to access the book files for format shifting?

The only thing I like in their app is the ability to scroll. In all other ways it's not great.

[JSWolf]

iBooks is lousy. Apple should not be allowed to bundle an eBook app and they should not be allowed to sell eBooks since it was their fault for agency.

[barryem]

I'm really uncomfortable with things like "Apple should not be allowed". If they want to sell books they should sell books. Doing business is a right, not a privilege.

You should also be allowed to say "Apple should not be allowed" even if it does make me uncomfortable.

Barry

[Atunah]

Unless they make an app for android or windows/PC, its going to be the same as it is now. Lots and lots of folks do not own apple things. One is completely stuck with one brand. Its not going to make their market bigger, just the same pool of Ithingie owners.
That's fine. But that cannot compete with Amazon that has apps and devices one can read anywhere on anything, including ithingies.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

I love Apple products, but have no interest in buying books from Apple. With no way to read their books on non Apple devices, ...

I didn't even know that. So they're not selling standard ePubs?

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

MacRumors: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/01/25...gned-book-app/

Good luck with that, Apple, but I don't think it's going to be successful. You might attract some die hard Apple fans who are casual readers. But I can't see serious readers (those who buy a lot of books) willing to leave the established already successful channels.

To me, a good bookstore has to be more than a convenient app.

There is zero evidence to support the idea that Apple is getting serious about ebooks. An update is just an update, and an exec is just an exec.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

There is zero evidence to support the idea that Apple is getting serious about ebooks. An update is just an update, and an exec is just an exec.

I wonder if Apple has ever considered building an eInk iReader?

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I wonder if Apple has ever considered building an eInk iReader?

that would make a great 1 April joke.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I didn't even know that. So they're not selling standard ePubs?

I don't know about that. As far as I know, there is no way to read an iBook book on a pc or android device, unless something has changed.

I can read regular epub books in iBooks, but have no idea how to get books from iBooks to my computer. (Finding the files etc)

I love my iDevices, but don't use iTunes.

[Alpha o]

Apple bites it with other libraries, too. You have to IMPORT books bought from elsewhere in iTunes which in itself is a piece of work. Apple snoops as much as Google. If Apple is protecting from piracy, I don't want a discussion about a book I happened to get from Gutenberg.

I've got books from all over, I prefer independent sellers. I've got them on 2 Android devices. One a tablet that uses an SD card, and the other the inkBOOK sans Google.

I do have an iPad, wifi only and all I bought it for was a sort of CAD program that android doesn't have. I use that sparingly and have been watching mostly Major League Baseball's At Bat which does run better than on the Android. Some weather forecasting programs also do better.

Google's Play store has a lot more selection in non-entertainment apps. Birding, Wildflowers, Astronomy, etc.

[maddz]

I have various ithingies, but won’t touch iBooks. It’s a PITA to sideload into iBooks, and as for moving iBook purchases elsewhere, forget it. The Fairplay DRM puts paid to that (it’s worse than ADE). I’ll stick with Amazon and other sources.

[sjfan]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I wonder if Apple has ever considered building an eInk iReader?

Kinda weird that a company that partially made their bones by recognizing that higher resolution black-and-white screens were better than low-res color ones for book/publishing kinds of applications (back in the original Mac/Mac SE days) never recognized the value of electronic ink.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I didn't even know that. So they're not selling standard ePubs?

There are some differences in Apple's variant of the epub3 specification though they seem to make little difference in the reading experience on non-Apple devices.

There is also Apple's FairPlay DRM issue which makes it a total pain to format shift or use their books on other devices. I don't really want to pay $30 US for software that I am not sure will work and have to set up a virtual Mac to run it in for those who are not Mac owners -- well, I have the virtual Mac so that is not really an issue for me.