iPad What will iPad do for e-books?

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DD1509

The music and movie guys started the whole DRM mess.

To be clear: "The whole DRM mess" actually began decades back with software apps, not music and movies. All this is hardly new... nor are the various strategies discussed. And it is important to note that most software apps that apply DRM today (for example, Microsoft, Adobe products) seem to be very effective, very successful, and still very strong sales leaders. So clearly, workable DRM isn't impossible, and it isn't always a mess.

We now return to your regularly scheduled program...

I agree, magazines will not be free. Digital magazines will probably be sold as digital subscriptions or one-time digital purchases, with premium content available only for payers/subscribers, and some enticement (sample) content available for free online (paid for with online ads for other, related products, and of course, for the full digital magazine).

I wouldn't worry about "hefty" prices, though... the consumer is perfectly willing and able to vote with their wallets, and pass on high-priced content... or pay for it, if they are convinced it is worth it. Any magazines that don't hit the right price point will simply adapt, or perish. That's how the market works, and so far, it's worked just fine.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I wouldn't worry about "hefty" prices, though... the consumer is perfectly willing and able to vote with their wallets, and pass on high-priced content... or pay for it, if they are convinced it is worth it. Any magazines that don't hit the right price point will simply adapt, or perish. That's how the market works, and so far, it's worked just fine.

I agree. I think what is sometimes missed however, is that what an "individual" believes is too expensive has little bearing on what the general public believes is too expensive...to wit, I stopped going to see first run films in the theater because the price of movie tickets did not justify the annoyance I had with other theater goers talking during the films:P Obviously, judging by the recent successes hollywood has had, my private boycott has had little effect. :P

Which I'm a bit sad about, but totally understand, as you said, the market does decide.

And, I didn't run off to the "darknets" in protest..I just wait until Netflix gets them

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by flashgordonv

The thing about eBooks is that until very recently the process of acquiring and reading eBooks has never been very simple and straightforward...

...Now that is different. I think the iPad is going to be the device that makes it simple for people to acquire and read ebooks...

...iPad will open up the eBook world and attract shedloads more people into the eBook experience than would ever be accomplished with the fragmented and technically difficult process we currently go through.

I can definitely see my wife with an iPad and an Apple Bookstore account and I can see her using it extensively.

Just my 2c worth.

Nicely put.

VHS vs Beta showed us that the consumer is not always concerned with the technical details when choosing. The iBookstore doesn't offer any more convenience than Amazon's kBookstore, but Apple already has the iTunes model that worked quite well for them and provides a warm and fuzzy illusion that "they know what they are doing".

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Pardoz

If I can buy the book for $9.99 by clicking 'Kindle', why would I pay 14.99 by clicking 'iBook'?

1. if Apple allows some degree of sharing, you might buy the Apple version because you can share your books with friends & family who have iphones, touches or Pads, but not Kindles.

2. the iBook version might allow for notes, which the Kindle app doesn't, afaics. Heck, if Apple is smart, it will allow stylus based notes.

3. you might find that the price difference doesn't exist (ask Macmillan) or that the possible differential is too small to warrant chasing it.

4. the iBook version will be optimized for the Pad. It could be faster to get in & out of, or to use, as compared to the apps.

5. the iBook may sync to your iPhone more reliably than the app to the dedicated reader.

6. the iBook might hyperlink in & out of an onboard dictionary, or wikipedia, or a Safari search.

7. you might like the bookcase organization system. (I don't.)

8. the iBook might allow a wider variety of fonts & background adjustments.

9. the iBook search & buying experience might be better.

[Yoshi 1080]

I love to see the name iBook so often again.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Yoshi 1080

I love to see the name iBook so often again.

me too! I was kinda hoping that would be the name of the device, not just an app. But maybe that would have been too confusing.

[jbjb]

Originally Posted by m-reader

Among other features that iPad doesn't have:

12. No full GPS support

Doesn't it? This page seems to think so

/JB

[Yoshi 1080]

The 3G version has A-GPS, the Wifi version does not. Apparently, the GPS receiver is located on the same module as the 3G chip.

[Harmon]

Steve Jobs is Brer Rabbit:

"So, as you can see, the publishers are fighting for the right to charge more, make less money per book, and guarantee Steve Jobs a 30 percent margin. Amazon, on the other hand, is fighting to charge less per book even though they are losing money with every sale. Now it all makes perfect sense."

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/kindle-...usiness-model/

[donnakamla]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

1, maybe (but only because people fall for the hype)
2, No way in Hades could the iPad do this. It's simply not possible for the iPad to affect 6" readers because it's not in the same market. It weighs too much, it's too big, and it cost too much. Now, I do think the iPad will kill off most of the large screen readers, just not the smaller ones.

But I agree that Amazon probably cornered the media market.

I'm fallin for the possibilities the IPAD offers, not the hype. I've used the iPhone with several E-Book related apps; Stanza, Goodreader (pdf support is great), and from that experience I anticipate even better things. I look forward to many hours of reading enjoyment when I get an IPAD.

"It weighs too much" mmm considering some of the books I lug around that weigh 4 or more pounds, I guess 1.5 pounds should be manageable.

"Its too big" - Its the size of an A4 sheet of paper 1 cm thick, which is how big an open book normally is are they not?

[LarryT63]

The iPad will work, because it's meant to be as Leo Leporte says "A media consumption device" and as it being only that, and not a full fledged tablet PC, I think it will work.

I sold my Sony reader a while back on ebay (PRS 505) fortunately right before the pocket reader came out! I couldn't just have one device sit there and do just one thing.

Will the iPad be perfect? Doubtful, but it can grow! Who knows what the iPhone OS 4.0 will include? Some say true multitasking. (can you imagine running Nuance's Dragon Dictate and having it, say, input text directly into Pages? (Apple's version of MS Word) I plan to write my book on the iPad, I know it can be done, how easily remains to be seen.

My only hope is that I'll be able to transfer/translate my already owned books to the epub format using calibre, then throw them into itunes (that's how the iPad will sync and back up your books, as it does with music and movies) If it doesn't now it will eventually.

Just my 2 cents

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by donnakamla

I'm fallin for the possibilities the IPAD offers, not the hype. I've used the iPhone with several E-Book related apps; Stanza, Goodreader (pdf support is great), and from that experience I anticipate even better things. I look forward to many hours of reading enjoyment when I get an IPAD.

"It weighs too much" mmm considering some of the books I lug around that weigh 4 or more pounds, I guess 1.5 pounds should be manageable.

"Its too big" - Its the size of an A4 sheet of paper 1 cm thick, which is how big an open book normally is are they not?

Dedicated 6" readers will drop below US $100 this year and will be selling by the truck loads. Because they have better reading screens, are smaller and lighter. He is right. It is a different market -- the ipad competes against media devices, perhaps netbooks and smartphones.

[donnakamla]

Originally Posted by BWhite

Okay, going to modify my prediction for iPad versus eBooks.

So authors will contact their publisher(s) and will hand over shortened manuscripts (a book like the 17 chapter Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will become a 6 chapter book)
I have heard the music publishers hate this trend.

Charles Dickens "Pickwick Papers", a serialized novel released monthly over two years, was a publishing sensation in 1836.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!

[Bremen Cole]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!

Very true. It is amazing to me that the Apple Device forum often has more people on it that ether one of the Sony forums, and sometimes even beats Kindle.... and the iPad is still two months away from being released! That one of many reasons I have to laugh at the "iPad will fail because...." type of threads....