ibooks.app, few questions.

[cudo]

Hi, cos im in EU still dont have an ipad but got some questions about the books app.

1. Is there a place where I can browse the content of the shop without actually having the device, such as web version of kindle strore or kobo. Just to see what is available at the moment?

2. As far as I know all the books are in ePub format with some sort of DRM. So I will not be able to use them on any other ePub ready reader? Im just limited to iPad?

3. Im a student so I am looking forward to getting e-version of my textbooks so I dont have to carry a dozen of books with me while on a campus. Could you tell me a bit more on how the actual textbooks presents on an iPad? As far as I am concerned ePub format does not support rich content very well. Textbooks usually are full of graphs, pics, figures, diagrams and so on. How is that looking on iPads screen? No formatting problems? What about the fact that you can adjust the size of font? Doesn't it mess up the layout? Could someone kind enaugh take some screes and post them here I'd be really delighted to see.

Thank you in advance.

 

[melman101]

Hi, cos im in EU still dont have an ipad but got some questions about the books app.

1. Is there a place where I can browse the content of the shop without actually having the device, such as web version of kindle strore or kobo. Just to see what is available at the moment?

2. As far as I know all the books are in ePub format with some sort of DRM. So I will not be able to use them on any other ePub ready reader? Im just limited to iPad?

3. Im a student so I am looking forward to getting e-version of my textbooks so I dont have to carry a dozen of books with me while on a campus. Could you tell me a bit more on how the actual textbooks presents on an iPad? As far as I am concerned ePub format does not support rich content very well. Textbooks usually are full of graphs, pics, figures, diagrams and so on. How is that looking on iPads screen? No formatting problems? What about the fact that you can adjust the size of font? Doesn't it mess up the layout? Could someone kind enaugh take some screes and post them here I'd be really delighted to see.

Thank you in advance.

1. Sadly, iBooks on the actual iPad is the only place to look for books. There are not many. 30,000 Project Gutenberg, 30,000 Pay-for books.

2. That is correct, I believe. iBooks books will only work on iPad. For two reasons. A. No way to transfer them to computer once bought I believe. B. DRM.

3. There are not many, if any at all, textbooks. McGraw Hill is still not there. I'm sure the formatting will be fine though, and the graphics and everything will be great.

 

[Night Spring]

2. That is correct, I believe. iBooks books will only work on iPad. For two reasons. A. No way to transfer them to computer once bought I believe. B. DRM.

When Jobs announced iPhone OS 4, he mentioned that iBooks will be coming to iPhone, so once OS 4 is released, iBooks will also work on iPhone.

And the books you buy are backed up to your computer when you sync with iTunes. You can delete books from your iPad but still have them on your hard drive. I also think it's quite possible someone will figure out how to crack the DRM -- Kindle's DRM has been cracked, for instance.

 

[cudo]

The most I am interested in this textbooks thingy. Can anyone shed some light on it ?

 

[wyneken]

1. Sadly, iBooks on the actual iPad is the only place to look for books. There are not many. 30,000 Project Gutenberg, 30,000 Pay-for books.

But you can load anything you've got in epub format via iTunes on your computer. And you can convert most other (non-protected) formats to epub with a utility like Calibre. That's what I've been doing so far, mostly, though I've also downloaded a couple of Gutenberg titles directly through iBooks.