I've been doing most of my e-book reading via the Amazon Kindle app. Partly, because my girlfriend shares her library with me, and the selection is normally better. That said, I've been interested in diving into iBooks, but the two impressions I've had with it so far have left me less than impressed.
The first was right after the iPad came out. I purchased "Ender's Game" and began reading it. However, the book was strewn with typos and encoding issues. Namely, any time a word ended with the letters "r n," it was rendered as an "m." So burn became bum, turn - tum, etc. It was really jarring and took me right out of the story.
I decided to give it a few months. After the recent updates and such to iBooks, I purchased a new book, "The Green Glass Sea." Much to my horror, the *entire* book is in italics! It gives me a headache trying to read it. I'm going to try to contact Apple for a refund.
I think I'm done with iBooks for the foreseeable future. The Amazon Kindle app is where it's at.
Discussion about
How do you think iBooks stacks up to the Kindle app?
And Apple just addressed my issue with Ender's Game without me ever complaining. And it's only an 8-step process to rectify this situation too. Heh!
"Apple regrets any inconvenience caused by this issue. An upated version has been downloaded to your account. Instructions for downloading the updated version are:
1) Click the iBookstore icon. If you are already in the iBook store, click on "Library".
2) Click the "Edit" button
3) Locate the "Ender's Game" book and click the "X" to delete the book.
4) Click the "Done" button.
5) Click the "Store" button and then sign out of your iTunes Account.
6) Sign back in to your iTunes Account.
7) If you are not already in the "Purchases" page, click the "Purchases" icon at the bottom right of your screen.
8) Locate the "Ender's Game" book in your purchases and click the "Redownload" button.
You will now have the most current version of the book in your library."
Gee, thanks! That said, I'm happy for the update, but too bad I've already read the book.
"Apple regrets any inconvenience caused by this issue. An upated version has been downloaded to your account. Instructions for downloading the updated version are:
1) Click the iBookstore icon. If you are already in the iBook store, click on "Library".
2) Click the "Edit" button
3) Locate the "Ender's Game" book and click the "X" to delete the book.
4) Click the "Done" button.
5) Click the "Store" button and then sign out of your iTunes Account.
6) Sign back in to your iTunes Account.
7) If you are not already in the "Purchases" page, click the "Purchases" icon at the bottom right of your screen.
8) Locate the "Ender's Game" book in your purchases and click the "Redownload" button.
You will now have the most current version of the book in your library."
Gee, thanks! That said, I'm happy for the update, but too bad I've already read the book.
The iTunes iBooks store is not off to a good start. Amazon has a lot more content and is platform agnostic.
The only thing that I like about iBooks is the ease of adding epub files. I had a number of epub files and they dropped right into my collection without a hitch.
The only thing that I like about iBooks is the ease of adding epub files. I had a number of epub files and they dropped right into my collection without a hitch.
Ooooh! Result!
Now I must go and furiously hunt for typos in my iBooks to do the same!
Now I must go and furiously hunt for typos in my iBooks to do the same!
The books I've bought have been fine, but the real problem is that once you buy an iBook, it's basically going nowhere else but your iPad. With the Kindle app, things are somewhat more flexible.
Well, the *real* problem for me having slogged through three books so far (I bought the books, so dammit I'm gonna get my money's worth even if I go crosseyed) is the crappiness of the iPad as an e-book reader, but that's kind of besides the point I guess.
Well, the *real* problem for me having slogged through three books so far (I bought the books, so dammit I'm gonna get my money's worth even if I go crosseyed) is the crappiness of the iPad as an e-book reader, but that's kind of besides the point I guess.
"The books I've bought have been fine, but the real problem is that once you buy an iBook, it's basically going nowhere else but your iPad. With the Kindle app, things are somewhat more flexible."
I think that's one of the biggest things for me too. With Kindle, I can read it on all sorts of other devices. They're playing smart by pursuing a multi-platform strategy. I've bought a few books for Kindle apps, despite not owning a Kindle. (My girlfriend has a Kindle and just plows through books. And, bonus, they sync to her iPhone for moments when she might not have her Kindle around.)
I think that's one of the biggest things for me too. With Kindle, I can read it on all sorts of other devices. They're playing smart by pursuing a multi-platform strategy. I've bought a few books for Kindle apps, despite not owning a Kindle. (My girlfriend has a Kindle and just plows through books. And, bonus, they sync to her iPhone for moments when she might not have her Kindle around.)
It seems to me that in this particular instance, Apple is maybe not caring too much whether they 'win' or 'lose'. They know that people will still flock to their iDevices despite Amazon's apparently agnostic move.
I'm sure there are enough people who live the end-to-end iTunes experience enough to keep the book store going, but it might not exactly be a major focus of Apple - whatever the recently fast & furious iBooks updates might indicate.
I'm sure there are enough people who live the end-to-end iTunes experience enough to keep the book store going, but it might not exactly be a major focus of Apple - whatever the recently fast & furious iBooks updates might indicate.
