iBooks

IBooks is an administration software for electronic books (e -book ) on Apple devices from iOS 3.3 or OS X support from 10.9. iBooks supports PDF, EPUB and on-site. ibooks file format. Electronic books can be read in iBooks and will be provided depending on the file format with different functions including bookmarks, highlights and notes. About iTunes or iCloud synchronization between multiple terminals also occurs with respect to current whipped side, annotations and visual order in the bookcase. The addition of electronic books can be (on Mac OS) or by Online Shop with iTunes account, for example, from an e -mail from the file system. Publishers can offer their books in electronic integrated online shop next to the file format. Ibooks also cross-platform. Epub.

History

Apple introduced iBooks to the public on 27 January 2010, in the context of the presentation of the iPad.

Since June 2011, it is also possible to buy e-books directly on the computer in the iTunes store. These e-books will be provided in the iBookstore is available. The file format of the open EPUB standard is to be used, supplemented by the Apple-specific implementation of a digital rights management. When a work in iBooks format was created and a fee will be charged for it, she may only be sold in iBookstore from Apple. Other formats, such as PDF or ePub requirement is not necessary. However, if the work be distributed for free, it may also be spread through other distribution channels and even in the. Ibooks format.

For the iBookstore, Apple has signed distribution agreements with five major publishers in the United States and enters into direct competition with Amazon and its Kindle e -book reader. The iBookstore has been offered in the United States for the launch, but is now also available in Germany.

The day after the iPad presentation Amazon took, former leader among distributors of e -books, books of the New York publishing house Macmillan Publishers Ltd. , The fifth largest publisher in the United States, the program because Macmillian the sales model of Apple preferred. The next day the books were resumed and Macmillan granted the right to deviate from the fixed price concept Amazons.

At WWDC 2010 iBooks has a number of functions: Now there is the app for the iPhone and iPod touch and it has added the capability to view PDF files. In addition, sections can now be marked and commented on in the e-books.

On January 19, 2012, Apple introduced a new version of the app, called iBooks 2, above. IBooks This allows multimedia content, eg 3D animations, photo galleries, read and reflect on the iBooks Store. At the same time the free app iBooks Author was presented with the submit such books without special knowledge and have them published. With iBooks 3, the iCloud has been integrated into the app. In addition, purchases of books in the bookcase are directly available and can be updated.

IBooks is not pre-installed in iOS, but, as for third-party apps through the App Store will be loaded.

On June 10, 2013, Apple introduced at WWDC before a specially customized version of iBooks for the desktop operating system OS X. This date is a turning point in the long history of iTunes, because since all electronic books are no longer managed in iTunes, but in iBooks on a Mac. If you connect an Apple iOS device to a Mac, so only the Syncro settings are kept ( for example, any or all electronic books) in iTunes; The files themselves are then matched from iBooks.

Comparison of functions

The range of functions between iBooks for iOS and iBooks for Mac OS X is the state in March 2014 still quite similar in the core functions. A characteristic difference is the version for Mac that this iBook supports multiple windows in parallel and thus enables simultaneous work with several open books.

Electronic books have been managed on iBooks for the Mac in iTunes. Compared with the previous (March 2014) iBooks has not yet reached the maturity to manage all of the many electronic books for the Mac. So among other things, lack the possibility to assign rating points or the meta - data of electronic books to supplement / correct or context menu entry is missing " Show File in Finder " (ie in the file system ) and backup support, the Time Machine is only rudimentary.