iBooks App not included with OS

[Sparced]

Apple will not be shipping iPads with the iBooks application as a built-in app, notes John Gruber at Daring Fireball.
To get the iBooks application, iPad users will have to download it themselves.

Depending on how Apple promotes the iBooks app in the App Store, this is a nice opportunity for Amazon's Kindle app to pick up market share.

If iPad users don't know Apple has the iBookstore, which is possible, they might search for and download the Kindle app instead.

John speculates that Apple didn't include the app as a standard, because it's easier to update it if it's an independent app. The apps that are bundled with the iPhone -- Stocks, Weather, etc. -- are only updated when the iPhone OS is updated.

Interesting decision. Most people will get it immediately after they first turn on their iPad for the first time but why lose some potential customers just to have it update independently.

I was hoping for a new version of iTunes to come out soon with the iBook shelf so I can start organising my PDF's and editing tags.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ibook-app-wont-come-standard-with-the-ipad-2010-2

 

[SilentPanda]

Not a bad move actually. If they had done this to start with then they could fix any Safari exploits updated more readily. It also allows people to not have an application if they don't want it. I have a few default apps on the last page because I never intend to use them... I'd be just as well to not have them on at all.

 

[Gymgenius]

I'd like the chance to take or leave most of the 'default' apps.

I have no intention of using the Contacts or even the iPod functionality of the iPad. I want it for sofa surfing, book reading, emailing and App Store Apps and games.

 

[samcraig]

Also "perhaps" further "proof" or evidence that Apple sees the iPad more for music/video/games/apps than as a dedicated eReader. The eReader being just an additional store/possibility with the device.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I was hoping for a new version of iTunes to come out soon with the iBook shelf so I can start organising my PDF's and editing tags.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ibook-app-wont-come-standard-with-the-ipad-2010-2

This is what I want, too. I'm sure if they don't someone will make a PDF document manager app, but iTunes integration would be nice.

 

[dissdnt]

I think this has to do with the fact that the reader isn't done yet. If you saw in hands on videos the "search" function wasn't working in the book app. Now to manufacturer all those iPADS and put the latest and greatest version of the firmware on those will take a lot of time.

Solution, throw it in the app store and have it ready in 60 days at launch. Also you can update the app easier then always asking people to update 300 megs of firmware.

They honestly should do this with all there native apps. Maybe it will get them to stop being so lazy on updating features on them.

 

[iVoid]

If I had to guess, this is probably because they will be selling the iPad worldwide, but the iBookstore will only be in certain countries where they have deals with publishers. So it will only be downloadable in select country App stores.

So putting it on all iPads would tend to bring complaints from people that don't have a local iBookstore. So leave it off and most people won't notice.

 

[zedsdead]

It is a little odd of Apple not to do this. I wish we had the option to delete Apple apps across all the iPhone OS devices.

I really hope iBooks will work on the iPhone/Touch as well as via iTunes on the Mac. This will be very important to me so I can have everything sync like the Kindle App does (the Mac version of Kindle is still not out yet, but it would be nice).

 

[admanimal]

I think this has to do with the fact that the reader isn't done yet. If you saw in hands on videos the "search" function wasn't working in the book app. Now to manufacturer all those iPADS and put the latest and greatest version of the firmware on those will take a lot of time.

Solution, throw it in the app store and have it ready in 60 days at launch.

But this alone doesn't explain why they would package it as a separate app. They could just as easily have a firmware (OS) update ready for the launch that includes the final iBooks app.

 

[MRU]

The reason is totally obvious.


The iPad launches WORLDWIDE
iBook's and it's inherent iBookstore is USA only

Why have an Application pre-loaded on your OS reminding the rest of the world how 'inferior' they are because they can not use the big new iBook application, that's staring them from the dashboard.


Damage/Litigation limitation.

From a legal perspective, it also protects Apple to not include it at the moment. By not doing so it prevents people outside of the USA who buy the iPad to read their books from the iBookstore from turning around and saying 'Hey WTF it doesn't work. But I bought it to read books, Apple sold me a lie.." and attempts are sueing / asking for refunds.




Once / If iBooks launches in most territories, then I can see it being there by default, until then it is utterly pointless doing so.

However I've said this many times now. If Apple follow iTunes store launch time frames with iBook's / store then by the time it is released worldwide I imagine most people with iPad's outside of the USA will be using alternative applications such as the inevitable enhanced 'Kindle iPad Application'... and no one will care either way.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

This makes little sense.

1- yes, the iPad launches worldwide, but they already have to do separate product builds for different countries because of things like the AC adapter plug. While that's done at a later step in the process, I'm sure they could manage this.

2- Who says they couldn't pre-load iBooks not as a system app, but as a regular app? It's just software... things can be done, and this doesn't sound overly complicated.

If this is true, the only reason I can figure is that iBooks just isn't ready for prime time yet... This may have as much to do with business contract reasons as software. For example, they might not have worked out "digital rights" issues with all publishers, and will have to adjust how that works until the last minute.

 

[macduke]

I hope iBooks can run in the background, or at least be streamlined and fast enough to load right from where I left off.

It will probably be included in OS 4.0 on both iPad and iPhone.

I also doubt we will see iTunes X until then.

 

[DaveSW]

The reason is totally obvious.


The iPad launches WORLDWIDE
iBook's and it's inherent iBookstore is USA only

Why have an Application pre-loaded on your OS reminding the rest of the world how 'inferior' they are because they can not use the big new iBook application, that's staring them from the dashboard.


Damage/Litigation limitation.

From a legal perspective, it also protects Apple to not include it at the moment. By not doing so it prevents people outside of the USA who buy the iPad to read their books from the iBookstore from turning around and saying 'Hey WTF it doesn't work. But I bought it to read books, Apple sold me a lie.." and attempts are sueing / asking for refunds.




Once / If iBooks launches in most territories, then I can see it being there by default, until then it is utterly pointless doing so.

However I've said this many times now. If Apple follow iTunes store launch time frames with iBook's / store then by the time it is released worldwide I imagine most people with iPad's outside of the USA will be using alternative applications such as the inevitable enhanced 'Kindle iPad Application'... and no one will care either way.

Agree with this.

 

[marksman]

I am still skeptical Apple will let other book readers work on the iPad, especially the kindle reader.

In which case it won't matter if it is included or not.

 

[iVoid]

This makes little sense.

1- yes, the iPad launches worldwide, but they already have to do separate product builds for different countries because of things like the AC adapter plug. While that's done at a later step in the process, I'm sure they could manage this.

Including a different power adapter in the box is one thing, but imaging all the iPads with different software based on regions is harder. It's much easier to have one image for all iPads, than to have 1 for the US and one for others.

Also some countries use the US power Adapter, but won't have the iBookstore at launch, so Apple would have to have 6 US models with iBooks, 6 models that use the US power Adapter but no iBooks App, then 6 models for the other types of power adapters.

It just makes more sense manufacturing wise to have one software image for all iPads and just let US users download iBooks.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

Great, I wouldn't want it to turn into the Stocks and Compass apps. Unused bloat that can't be deleted.

 

[diabolic]

I'd rather the apps all be downloadable. That way they don't have to wait for a full OS update to change anything in an app.

 

[Jaro65]

The reason is totally obvious.


The iPad launches WORLDWIDE
iBook's and it's inherent iBookstore is USA only

I think you nailed it!

 

[Doju]

Well, this is great.

I guess there's no way to put third-party, non-Apple books into the app since there's no division in iTunes? Like how we do it for music?

 

[CylonGlitch]

Well, this is great.

I guess there's no way to put third-party, non-Apple books into the app since there's no division in iTunes? Like how we do it for music?

Because it hasn't been released yet. It will, or should, within the next month or so.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

Including a different power adapter in the box is one thing, but imaging all the iPads with different software based on regions is harder. It's much easier to have one image for all iPads, than to have 1 for the US and one for others.

Also some countries use the US power Adapter, but won't have the iBookstore at launch, so Apple would have to have 6 US models with iBooks, 6 models that use the US power Adapter but no iBooks App, then 6 models for the other types of power adapters.

It just makes more sense manufacturing wise to have one software image for all iPads and just let US users download iBooks.

No, it's not any harder. Unless Apple is using a completely antiquated production control system (which I doubt), they know which iPads are destined for which markets when they program them. There are dozens of hardware and software products shipping today that have differences for different models - everything from language differences to legal differences, and hardware differences (i.e. the AC adapter)... this is not a new or difficult problem to deal with, especially considering the volumes we're talking about.

If it's true, there is some reason for it, but it's not because of any iBooks=USA only issue.

 

[admanimal]

If it's true, there is some reason for it, but it's not because of any iBooks=USA only issue.

It's a more reasonable explanation than the one you offered. Two months is more than enough time for them to polish the software enough for it to be included in the box (or in a complete firmware update), and the app itself does not need to be changed based on any content issues still being worked out. Pricing and content changes all the time in the normal iTunes store without the need for a software update.

 

[EssentialParado]

If I had to guess, this is probably because they will be selling the iPad worldwide, but the iBookstore will only be in certain countries where they have deals with publishers. So it will only be downloadable in select country App stores.

So putting it on all iPads would tend to bring complaints from people that don't have a local iBookstore. So leave it off and most people won't notice.

I think that's the more likely explanation. If it's to do with updates, they could easily treat all their pre-installed software as independent apps, so I don't think that's the reason.