iBooks app, Kindle app or Nook app, which will you use?

[brobar]

One of the many reasons I am getting an iPad is for an e-reader. I was planning on using the iBooks app because of the slick interface but now I'm wondering if I might stick to the Kindle app instead. The Mrs. has a Kindle and loves it... but I was just thinking about how she is able to sync her Kindle app on her iPhone with her Kindle and share books back and forth. So if she has a Kindle account... I might just use her account on my iPad that way when either she or I order a book... we can essentially share it between the two devices. I guess if there is something that I know only I will read then I might go ahead and purchase it through the iBooks app... but if there is a chance that she might be interested in the same book it really makes sense to me atm to just purchase it in the Kindle app that way she can read it on her Kindle once I'm done with it.

What do you guys/gals think? Of those e-reader apps, which do you see yourself using the most?

 

[gentlefury]

I didn't realize we would be restricted to only one.

 

[brobar]

I'm not sure why anyone would think they would be restricted to only one (unless Apple doesn't allow the other apps because of "duplicate functionality... which I seriously doubt they would do).

 

[iRichard]

Looks to me like most of the ebook readers want to have an app for the iPad.

 

[iVan]

Looks to me like most of the ebook readers want to have an app for the iPad.

It does look that way but it's a little touchy. When you buy ebooks they are protected by DRM anti duplication and locking them to a device.
You have a few choices if you want to transfer those books to an other device. You can strip the documents from the copy protection scheme but it is illegal. The most "legally correct way" is to find an application installed to an other device that will allow intact protected ebooks to be used on that other device.
That's why the apps. People still want authors and publishers to get their fair share on their work.

 

[brobar]

With iBooks... it seems like your book will be locked to whatever "i"Device (iPad, iPhone, iPod) you sync with the iTunes associated with that account. I'm not sure how the Nook will work but if the Kindle app is like the current Kindle app on the iPhone... the book isn't locked to one device... it is shareable between the iDevice that has the Kindle app on it... and the Kindle associated with the Amazon account. That is what is a little intriguing to me and has me leaning towards using the Kindle app more of the time... because we can purchase the book and use it on the Kindle or ANY of our iDevices with a Kindle app on it. That will prevent us from having to purchase the book twice or purchasing it in iBooks and then when she wants to read it after I'm done I lose my iPad for however many hours it takes her to finish it. Unless Apple just really starts undercutting Amazon on ebook prices (or they flat out don't allow the Kindle app on the iPad)... I see myself using the Kindle app most of the time for the reasons listed above.

 

[iVan]

With iBooks... it seems like your book will be locked to whatever "i"Device (iPad, iPhone, iPod) you sync with the iTunes associated with that account. I'm not sure how the Nook will work but if the Kindle app is like the current Kindle app on the iPhone... the book isn't locked to one device... it is shareable between the iDevice that has the Kindle app on it... and the Kindle associated with the Amazon account. That is what is a little intriguing to me and has me leaning towards using the Kindle app more of the time... because we can purchase the book and use it on the Kindle or ANY of our iDevices with a Kindle app on it. That will prevent us from having to purchase the book twice or purchasing it in iBooks and then when she wants to read it after I'm done I lose my iPad for however many hours it takes her to finish it. Unless Apple just really starts undercutting Amazon on ebook prices (or they flat out don't allow the Kindle app on the iPad)... I see myself using the Kindle app most of the time for the reasons listed above.

I wonder what will reading on B&N and Kindle apps will look like on the iPad. The look and feel of iBooks is what's appealing me towards the iPad. My Sony will scarcely be used then...

 

[brobar]

I wonder what will reading on B&N and Kindle apps will look like on the iPad. The look and feel of iBooks is what's appealing me towards the iPad. My Sony will scarcely be used then...

Good question. I think that is where competition (even on the same device) will be a good thing. If Amazon and B&N want their apps to be more successful on the iPad than iBooks... they will either have to undercut Apple quite a bit in pricing, be competitive in app quality and usability, or a little bit of both. Hopefully those guys at least replicate the iBook app functionality but hopefully they take it a step further and innovate instead of just replicate. Only time will tell. I doubt either of these companies have their iPad specific ereaders available at launch.

 

[gentlefury]

Should be just like iTunes and Appstore. My gf just uses my itunes account on her iPod Touch....so if I buy an app she can download it on hers for free. You should be able to read your books on any device with your account on it.

 

[brobar]

Should be just like iTunes and Appstore. My gf just uses my itunes account on her iPod Touch....so if I buy an app she can download it on hers for free. You should be able to read your books on any device with your account on it.

Yea... all your iDevices that are tied to the same iTunes account would/should be able to share iBooks books on all the devices.

And while you will be able to get your Kindle & Nook books on the iPad (which is great for those households that have an iPad and one or more of the other devices), it will probably be a cold day in hell before you can get iBooks on the Kindle or Nook. =)

 

[gentlefury]

Should be just like iTunes and Appstore. My gf just uses my itunes account on her iPod Touch....so if I buy an app she can download it on hers for free. You should be able to read your books on any device with your account on it.

Yea... all your iDevices that are tied to the same iTunes account would/should be able to share iBooks books on all the devices.

And while you will be able to get your Kindle & Nook books on the iPad (which is great for those households that have an iPad and one or more of the other devices), it will probably be a cold day in hell before you can get iBooks on the Kindle or Nook. =)

Yeah I don't think you will be able to get iBooks on another device...could happen tho. Eventually apple removed DRM control on iTunes music when people decided they wanted to buy from apple and use on something other than an iPod....it is bad for profits when you alienate a customer. They will eventually offer universal eBooks...once there is a standard I assume.

 

[iVan]

Should be just like iTunes and Appstore. My gf just uses my itunes account on her iPod Touch....so if I buy an app she can download it on hers for free. You should be able to read your books on any device with your account on it.

Yea... all your iDevices that are tied to the same iTunes account would/should be able to share iBooks books on all the devices.

And while you will be able to get your Kindle & Nook books on the iPad (which is great for those households that have an iPad and one or more of the other devices), it will probably be a cold day in hell before you can get iBooks on the Kindle or Nook. =)

Yeah I don't think you will be able to get iBooks on another device...could happen tho. Eventually apple removed DRM control on iTunes music when people decided they wanted to buy from apple and use on something other than an iPod....it is bad for profits when you alienate a customer. They will eventually offer universal eBooks...once there is a standard I assume.

Highly unlikely. Apple will tolerate B&N and Kindle apps just in order to accomodate you enough until you subscribe to iBooks. That's their goal. Once you're in and buying their books, they won't care that you bought books elsewhere, just that you buy more on iBooks.

It is highly improbable also that they strip DRM because they have no say in it even if they are the ones seeming to make use of it. DRM is in "Obligation to Enforce by Contract" by all ebook resellers for sale rights. Protection of digital rights is for Author and Publication House rights, not for market protection of resellers rights first.

Just to sell an ebook, a reseller must agree to enforce the copy protection devices. If not they will be brought to justice. Apple can in no way strip DRM from what does not belong to them in the first place.

Lastly, Apple is using the EPUB standard which is considered the Universal standard. Epub was born out of long discussions between ebook device manufacturers, Publishing Houses and Authors to be a unification standard

 

[Dorje]

The only question remains is if apple will honor the epub standard and allow the ebooks through iBook to be viewable on other devices (say with a password key like locked PDFs, if epub supports that functionality).

There is on major technical impractical reason the Nook and Kendel (or othe epub reader) won't take iBooks. It's hard to watch the Avatar on a black and white TV. Simply put the iPad has a full color screen while e-ink reades can at best do grey scale, but mostly just black and white.

There are also other tricks that could be embeded into an epub file that an iPad could use but the majority of other e-reades can't.

 

[gentlefury]

The only question remains is if apple will honor the epub standard and allow the ebooks through iBook to be viewable on other devices (say with a password key like locked PDFs, if epub supports that functionality).

There is on major technical impractical reason the Nook and Kendel (or othe epub reader) won't take iBooks. It's hard to watch the Avatar on a black and white TV. Simply put the iPad has a full color screen while e-ink reades can at best do grey scale, but mostly just black and white.

There are also other tricks that could be embeded into an epub file that an iPad could use but the majority of other e-reades can't.

yeah the new interactive magazines and books (medical journals and such) are really cool! Can't wait to see cinefx get on there and include actual interviews and onset footage to go along with the articles and pictures.

 

[Dorje]

Try interactive diagrams using Canves elements out of HTML5. There are rather roundabout tricks for squeezing those in to the ePub format but it can be done. Not something a Nook could do.