Apple to do eBooks?
By Ryan Block 
posted Jul 22nd 2006 1:58PM
posted Jul 22nd 2006 1:58PM
We tend to field a lot of inside information here at Engadget HQ, but we've gotten not one, but two bits from separate, trustworthy insiders that Apple's not satisfied merely vending Audible's books-on-digital-audio solution. With the iRex iLiad and Sony PRS-500 Portable Reader both right around the corner, is it possible the next iPod might catch the eBook bug? We'd say the possibility is very real, since according to a source at a major publishing house, they were just ordered to archive all their manuscripts -- every single one -- and send them over to Apple's Cupertino HQ. A separate trusted source let us know that the next iPod will have a substantial amount of screen real estate (as we'd all suspected), as well as a book reading mode that pumps up the contrast and drops into monochrome for easy reading. It's no e-ink, sure, but a widescreen iPod would be well suited for the purpose, and according to our source, the books you'd buy (presumably through iTunes) won't have an expiration -- kind of like Apple-bought music, as well, but contradictory to the movie rental scheme we've heard rumored. Could they please just rename it the iTunes Music, Movies, and Book Store and get it over with already?
Just want add some good computer Ebook source. Of course with your permission!.
Get rich computer Ebooks from Http://computer.Ebooktops.com
Thanks
Yes, but can we still listen to music while we read. I might want to listen to an audio book while reading it, or something.
Here's hoping the battery life of this supposed "UberPod" actually makes this worth the time. With all the features keep piling on this next iPod, it'll be a miracle if they figure out a way to let me use the thing all day without having to plug it in.
My current iPod barely survives a day at work listening to music and a 40min train commute there and back.
I really do not feel like these new offerings will catch on the way music did. Most of us use our mp3 players while getting from point a to point b... so, unless you are on a form on mass transit that a) doesn't reqire your attention and b) doesn't bump so much that you can't read, this is pretty uselss.
I'm sure in big citys, the subways could work here (although then you run the risk of somebody swiping the thing). But for most of the rest of the world, getting around means driving or walking, and you can pull off some Gnarls Barkley while doing that, but any reading or movies just won't work, and honestly, who is going to replace their TV or Laptop with an iPod for movie watching, and who is gonna prefer an iPod over a paperback?
Not to mention... movies... i want to watch in one sitting. I don't wanna catch 17 minutes of it on the way to work, shut it off, and save the rest for tomorrow.
The iPod works for music. I'm sure it will PLAY movies and display books. I'm just not sure i'd wanna pay to view them on there.
There is a whole disabled community out here who would like to have a library of books without the real-life storage problem and the physical access required. Holding a book, let alone turning pages is difficult for many. Purchasing books on CD is very expensive and requires more hardware. At any rate, I think there are readers out here who would love to see Mac's creativeness applied to the ebook idea. Color would be nice for those of us who are also more visually oriented, such as artists. I'd love to receive my art magazine subscriptions available on a larger format ebook. I'd love to be able to print out single pages of the pictures that I'd like to study longer.
I'd be sold on it. Here's hoping they could get textbooks on it. Then I'd be even more appreciative of it.
Sorry to double comment but...
This book feature would have to be exectued perfectly for anybody to use it more than once.
There had better be a book marking feature.
It would be nice to be able to highight and / or "write" in your books some how.
And...
There are very few books i read over and over, unlike most music or movies i own. Granted, there are the Da Vinci Codes of the world that i'll read a couple of times, but usually books get passed on after i'm done with them. "Hey, Dad, check this book out!" would now require dad to go purchase it too? I don't like it.
What about textbooks? It'd be AMAZING to not have to lug three of these around campus every day, and throwing them on an iPod would be cool if you could highlight and make "notes" of some kind... but then you couldn't sell it back to the book store at the end of the semester.
It seems like a lot of my favorite things about reading are going out the window so i can stare at the words on a three inch screen? Having lots of books with me at once would be nice, yes. But other than that, whats the advantage?
agh that thing again! i'm sure that if Apple will make an iPod like that, they won't make a click wheel on the supposed touch screen. last time i checked you couldnt make one spot on a touch screen have more than one command without some sort of switch mode feature ei. you go to scroll through the menu and you un-intentionally hit play, skip to the last song and go back to the main menu
I'm sensing a merger... iMazon? :)
Er, I'm not a big fan of the suggested big long name. How about something nicer like iStore, iShop, or iMedia?
If they were to combine OLEDs (foldable) with amazing functionality (basically a given with the iPod) then this would be an entertainment hub for sure. Could you imagine having a tiny, iPod nano sized device for just music, and then being able to extend the screen and watch videos/read eBooks? How cool would that be? ...As for the OLED rant I could've sworn I read something about OLED iPod rumors on Engadget...
Think about the trees people, the trees, save the trees!! Al Gore is not on Apple's board for nothing you know.
All seriousness, this is more like an extra throw-in feature to the next iPod. More like the Notes Feature on Steroids. You could listen to music and read notes now so won't be a problem.
Combined with text-to-speech, you could have it read your book to you during times when you can't look at the screen.
And to Chris: Touch panels can definitely distinguish between gestures to perform different commands in the same space. For instance, on my MacBook trackpad I can click, double-click, drag, scroll and right-click, all in the same space, depending on the character of the touch. (One or two fingers, and a quick tap versus a dragging motion).
In addition, Apple's latest patent refers to distinguishing between a soft press and a hard press to perform different functions. If Apple implements this well, it could be great.
Any dates Engadget.....
It all makes sense now!!! The iBook is reborn.
It's no coincidence that Apple replaced the iBooks with the new MacBooks.
I just wrote in my blog that I think we'll be seeing two new devices. A Video iPod is what everyone is talking about. The second device i foresee is a UMPC-like iPod (almost like the size of a Newton). Apple did apply for patents on technology that would go into such a device and it would be much better to read ebooks on.
From Andrew Stone: "I really do not feel like these new offerings will catch on the way music did. Most of us use our mp3 players while getting from point a to point b... so, unless you are on a form on mass transit that a) doesn't reqire your attention and b) doesn't bump so much that you can't read, this is pretty uselss."
I whole heartedly disagree with this statement. That may be how you and those you know use these devices but doesn't necessarily apply to the rest of us.
I kept a pocket pc around for 2 years expressly for the purpose of reading ebooks. I currently read books on my Tablet PC but, even at 3.5lbs I consider it to heavy to be very comfortable for the purpose. I've considered by a used Pocket PC again just for the purpose of reading books. However, I consider that a real waste since I don't have any use for it's other functions.
I would love an all in one MEDIA device (not an overly complicated PDA with media functions. My cell phone takes care of contacts and calender, thank you) that could play music, video and ebooks that was attached to a good store where I could buy product for it at a reasonable price. You think it's useless, but I like the idea of reading in bed without having to flip pages.
If Apple delivers this in an easy to user format (their forte), with a large amount of purchasable media at a reasonable price (so far so good with music and tv episodes on iTunes) and leaves a non-drm option on the device so I can grab free stuff from places like the Gutenberg(sp) project (again, so far so good with music and video) I'm liable to stop bashing the iPod.
I’ve been waiting for someone to do eBooks right. I actually prefer eBooks to paper books, especially reference material. But I don’t want to read it off an iPod. I would just hope the make available on a computer (I’m sure they would), and have functionality like highlighting and search.
Macsimum Next detailed an Apple eBook inteface patent a while ago. You can turn the pages manually by ribbing the screen, sooooooooo Apple, and IMO sooooooooo cool!!
I think 'The iTunes Multimedia Store' would be less of a mouthful, plus they wouldn't have to change the acronym... ;-)
Ribbing?? Sorry, I meant Rubbing, or even dragging.
Zune seems way more interesting. Are ebooks even all that popular?
iBorders?
a good name would be iTunes Media Store, which would make sense
somehow i dont think whatever apple releases will look like that, whether it be the 6th gen ipod, pda or whatever
I would LOVE it if they came out with this.
Andre, I completely agree. Textbooks on that thing would be awesome. Imagine just being able to download a book for so much less than what it would cost in print version. Not to mention the fact that you could carry so many more with you.
I've read many, many books on my iPods (Photo and Video) using the Notes feature. The scroll wheel allows for one-handed reading in the palm of your hand, which is pretty revolutionary. There's a 3rd party app that turn any text file into 'pages' in the Notes directory. The notes are hyperlinked together so you can open the next page by clicking. It's really great and much more compact than carry around a big paperback. I used to use to read on my ferry ride to Seattle while I listened to music. Having the backlight on all the time did kill the battery pretty damn fast, but I just charged it at work every day and was fine for two 2+ hour trips of reading and listening.
such an ebook seems ideally suited to children's stories, it would seem. (i.e. the short form, rather than the long form, of books.)
The problem here will be screen real estate.
The description so far of the size of the display for the next gen video ipod is not large enough. I want to be able to read a full page of text at a time with no need for scrolling. I don't think the ipod will give me that.
An Apple Tablet on the other hand would be a perfect application for this, presuming they got battery life right.
I wonder if you people bagging on ebooks have ever really tried it. I am a big reader and loved the move over to electronic reading. It started when I got a treo - it is the best to be able to just whip out your phone at any time you have a down minute or two and read for a bit. The screen on a dedicated device like this would be way better than on a treo, but even on that little screen it is just so much more convienient than having to carry around a book with you all the time. I currently have over 100 books on my phone that I can read at anytime. Many of them I enjoying reading over. So if you haven't tried it you should.
The biggest problem that I have found is the lack of availability and the stupid DRMs that they put on the things you buy legally. But if apple is able to convince publishers to finally get on the ebook wagon i am all for it - especially if they don't use DRM (i'll believe that when i see it)
ooo, I may be inclined to purchase if eBooks were an option. I've been meaning to read more.
I read ebooks on my Handspring Visor, 160x160 (I think) black & white resolution, with a backlight. I carry several books in it when I travel. Right now I have "Huckleberry Finn", Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and Thomas Stevens's "Around the World on a Bicycle".
I enjoy it, but nobody's ever looked over on a plane and said, "I'm gonna try that!"
I hate to say it but I think the market is as miniscule as the screen.
If it browses the web with an acceptable level of comfort, supports pdf (no doubt it will) I would have no problem dropping $500-$900 on it.
I don't know if Apple's doing this, or not.. but they do have a lot of experience with bi-color displays since the original Macs were all black-and-white (look closely, that gray you percieved was half-toning), so maybe they could pull it off.
imagine the benefits to the education departments
For E-Books with no DRM check out Baen Publishing. [ http://www.bar.baen.com ] There's a *Free* Library to get you introduced to the Authors from which you can download any of the books there for free.
The Webscriptions area is where you purchase the e-books and you can read at least three chapters of any e-book they have for sale before you purchase. Plus, they let you choose between [I believe it's] six formats to download your books.
One caveat, Baen's Bar is addictive for readers.
It would be my dream if Marvel and DC comics would team up with Apple and sell their content on iTunes. I would love to read comic books on the go with my iPod. I know that the screen is small but I am sure that they can figure out a way to view them with no problem.
A lot of people are viewing the iPod from a very self-centered view. They ask themselves if they'd want new features and decide no one will want them if they don't. This isn't about each user. It's about all potential users. Additional features won't change the appeal the iPod has for a core audience of those who listen to content but it may persuade other potential buyers to choose an iPod for its flexibility and future use potential. Right now, Apple has over 70% of the MP3 player market. If they want to keep that marketshare or get new buyers, they have to offer more than cheaper players.
That being said, I'm surprised even the most jaded reader hasn't seen the advantage of a handheld electronic reader on occasion. For reading at night in bed, it's far more comfortable than propping yourself up and using a light with a conventional book. You can hold it in one hand and require no external lighting. There's also potential for vertical markets and student use (imagine being able to search textbook content on the fly or being in college and carrying an iPod instead of a bag full of large books). It's not only about people on public transportation with time to kill.
I thought it only appropriate to reply to this thread using my iPod Touch. I am an avid reader who would welcome an ebook program on an iPod as I was able to very leisurely read this forum then why not a book?
ipod is music play, will be good at all for a ebook reader, apple
show focus on what ipod does best, play videos and mp3s!
Anyone ever tried to lug around one the latest Harry Potter books? What a backache!
I hope the ebook feature works out well. I'm definitely interested.
file this one under the obvious files.
IF theres a new ipod
it WILL have something like this.
it's an obviously more simple way to go than video, or full computing power.
and i wrote that while baked. go me.
This is not only likely, but almost guaranteed ... when Apple sold their student information system division, PowerSchool, to Pearson, they stipulated that Pearson would develop educational content for the iPod.
I wrote about it a few weeks back when the deal happened:
http://www.sparkplug9.com/bizhack/index.php/2006/05/26/why-apple-sold-powerschool/
Educational content for the iPod will be video, audio, and textual ... iPod will be a cheap media viewer type of computer for education.
i just read 37 or so comments on this page, from the screen of my 12" powerbook. the text column of this very page would have fit nicely within the confines of an iPod turned lengthwise with a screen that covered the whole surface of the device.
i'm just saying.....
@ “Andrew Stone”, please make-up your mind and be consistence in your statements.
Didn’t you just write a 5 paragraph diatribe about how “useless the new video/e-Book iPod” would be? Now you’ve changed your mind, with a second diatribe on “how AMAZING” it would be to have large collection of college textbooks all in one easy to carry location.
Um… duh! I do believe that’s IS the WHOLE POINT of e-books, don’t you think? eBooks aren’t just for reading DaVinci Code, the latest romance and Sex novels. Books weigh a ton and take up TOO much space – especially computer books. This is BRILLANT – you can have/own a frigging Library in the palm your hand!!!!
Doesn’t seem so pointless NOW, does it?
iTMS, "iTunes Media Store"
I've been reading ebooks for over 5 years and have a collection of over 250. Like some of the other avid readers, I have read them more than once. I presently have them on a Palm T/X and a Treo 90. The text is much nicer on the T/X, but the Treo 90 fits easier in a pocket. I purchased most of my books from eReader, but also have many from the Online Books page. It really is great to carry around 250 books and be able to access any one at anytime. I also have an original ebook which is now an expensive bookstop.
I've been waiting for a nice multi-use portable eBook reader for a long time! Thanks to apple this will be coming true.
I've got hundreds of eBooks and as much as I love the convenience of instant gratification - now I'm not confined to the space of my desk to get my "read" on.
thanks apple!
It won't happen and it shouldn't happen. For one, the whole reason behind the ereaders is that they use epaper which is reflective not illuminated. No one wants to read text off a lightbulb, that's the whole point.
Couple that with massively lower battery life (sure, you can run a itsy weenie screen off a iPod battery for a few hours, but not something you'll both want to hold and be able to use long enough to read a book.
Dream on, Apple.
Sounds like Apple's Knowledge Navigator is finally seeing the light of day.
An 'ebook' functionality for the ipod might be better used for things like blogs, magazines, even newspapers.
Treat them much like podcasts are done now, have them automatically downloaded to the ipod.
Would you subscribe to the New York Times, Sports Illustrated, etc. if they provided an iPod edition that was a mix of text, audio and video?
I have no idea whether or not the next iPod iteration will include ebook functionality, but those who think it's an unworkable idea obviously have no practical experience with the various small screen formats. I've owned an original RocketBook for several years and have read hundreds of books and articles on it. Today, my favorite ebook reader is a Palm T-3 with TibrPro reader software installed. This is a GREAT little reader with variable font size, colors, and perfectly smooth auto-scrolling. This allows me to read comfortably in any light without even turning pages.
The reading experience is certainly different with ebooks compared to hard copy, but both formats have their advantages which is why many serious ebook aficionados own some titles in both forms.
I think this is cool - although content is definitely crucial.
Personally, I'd prefer to read and access quick snapshots about particular subjects on my iPod rather than read a novel.
Since April, I have been offering downloadable text-based content for all iPods, (apart from the Shuffle and early models), from my web site.
These are mainly guides that people traveling from place to place would find useful - although I've also got sports guides such as a Wimbledon Tennis guide (which took me ages to create) also available for free download.
I call these Pod SnapShots rather than eBooks because that's what they are - a snapshot of a particular subject that you can flick through quickly to get the information that you need - be that airport guides, store guides, etc.
These are ideally suited to iPods screen size and resolution - any document bigger/longer than that needs a much better screen IMHO.
Apple are the guys to make ebooks popular. They got the courage to remove all the redundant extras that other companies seem to think should be added to a product because they can be added.
I'm looking forward to buying a text only, non-interactive, beautifully designed e-paperback reader.
Palm PDAs have been able to play music and view eBooks at the same time for years.
With all forms of media, iTunes is inappropriate... how about iMedia... or the Apple Online Media Store..
Is this the best Apple can do? Zune is so much better and I'd get one today if I could! Apple's running on fumes while Microsoft innovates!
I hope someone from microsoft is taking notes - here's another feature they have to cram into zune ASAP!!!! lol!
Can we just please stop teh Zune comments. Please! That concept hasn't been launched yet, so for some to say that it is much better or some stating is much worse than teh iPod line, little out of context.
I know the Nike+ kit reads back your progression. Would be nice if Apple would take that to the next level. You can read the ebook on the plane, but when driving teh car, it will be read to you.
Microsoft innovates? Hahahahahahahahahahah!
Zune? Do you know what that means? Screwed. Only less polite. That's how Creative, Dell and others are going to feel once MS gets into it.
If Apple brings out a wide-screen iPod that's a book reader, I'm buying one!
@ I,Robot:
Yes, it would be "amazing" to carry around my three text books on an ipod, instead of carrying a big book bag everywhere. But the fact is, there are ALREADY ebook readers.... why haven't they caught on?
That was the point of my two posts. Yes, there would be an advantage. Unfortuantly, you lose a lot of what makes reading great for that advantage, and i don't see a lot of people being convinced to give up their paperbacks for it.
Re-read what i said dude. "What about textbooks? It'd be AMAZING to not have to lug three of these around campus every day, and throwing them on an iPod would be cool if you could highlight and make "notes" of some kind... but then you couldn't sell it back to the book store at the end of the semester."
You try convincing poor college kids to buy a book they can't sell back. I dont need my Sixth Edition Ecology and Field Biology book after the class is over, but i sure as hell need that $160 back.
I don't think addmiting the advantages to the format but then airing my concerns for it means i'm inconsistant. I think it means i'm weighing the advantages and disadvantages.
To: Justin Streufert, Click, double click, scroll and drag all have different purposes. A finger on a touch pad on the other hand doesn't have all of that. But you are right it would have drag(for the click wheel) and click(for menu, ff, fr and play/pause) though im sure you could easily confuse the scroll wheel by different motions of your finger. I also just thought of the fingerprint circle it would leave on the screen. im sure that would cause some complaints
Yup - as some have noted, I too have been reading ebooks on my various Palm devices for years. It allows me to carry several books at once and the Ereader bookmarks, highlights and returns you to exactly where you left off. I read all the Dan Brown books, and just about everything you can think of in terms of length and style. The type is equivalent to 10 point or so book type and it took no time to get used to it - great for the train, bus or waiting for a haircut, doctors appointment, etc. So..if it also comes to my Ipod, I'm all for it as long as the selection is decent and you can convert plain text (think Guterberg.org)
someone honestly needs to invent "real" digital paper. sometging 6x9 8x11ish that you can pull/roll out of an ipod/other device and read/write on like a piece of paper. Honestly I'd prefer one virtual paperback book looking device that literally had like 300 empty downloadable pages and /felt just like a paper back then you could flip pages/make notes and download new books onto.
sorry to go off ikilter
What this looks like is Apple doing what it's always done - continuous improvement of the product. First the store, colour and images, then podcasting, then video, then Nike+, now larger video and books, all the while increasing the size. Whether any particular feature is wildly useful to everyone (how many photos are carried on the average iPod), some of them are useful to someone, and they're all done within the cozy environment of iTunes.
I have a Tungsten PDA that contains music, eReader texts, videos, etc, but I'd still love an iPod that would do all that with the consistent iTunes management.
I'm not sure it would necessarily be worth upgrading from a 5G, but there are plenty of new customers still out there, and lots of people with 4Gs and older (myself, I'm running off a Mini till the optimal version comes out) for whom this might be the tipping point.
I hope the screen orientation in the mock up shot is wrong. Reading speed & comprehension improve with narrower columns.
As an above commenter said, this would be great for news ('paper') feed info with embeded video links etc.
Keep in mind that many of the rumors and patents surrounding the upcoming iPods have included a text to speech capability. The iPod might be able to read the text when you are doing something that doesn't allow you to read the screen.
For me the books isn't an important feature. Being able to load and read my own documentation content, blogs, etc. is awesome... So I would buy the iPod, but not purchase books.
eBooks have already existed for awhile. Sure, they’re not a huge market, but they definitely have more benefits than print books. It’s the attitudes of the public that’s keeping eBooks from becoming larger. But to have Apple start with eBooks, I think that would be a huge jump for the industry. Granted, everyone in digital publishing keeps talking about the next eBook wave and has been for awhile, but maybe now with the new Sony Reader coming out and Apple potentially jumping on the bandwagon we’ll actually see that.
Textbooks on an iPod? Same issue with the screen size. There are plenty of other better avenues for that. This isn’t a new concept people – you can already purchase e-textbooks!
Here’s my question – what is the format going to be for these? Is Apple going to pull a Sony and go with a proprietary format for their eBooks? Are they planning on using OEB?
This all sounds promising…
I've been asking and waiting for this for a very long time. Our whole company is based on ebooks. For those who don't believe the market is there, it is and it's growing like crazy.
Rebecca
Chippewa Publishing LLC
http://www.chippewapublishing.com
In the UK you can get books on your mobile phone. In my school there's a poster offering a free book if you text FREEBOOK or ICUE to 64888. I don't know if it will work outside of the UK because i think it's a UK mobile phone number.
They basically have three reading styles. My favourites is called Ticker (sort of autocue style). Thousands of books to choose from. Works nicely on my Nokia and on my mates Motorola.
you can play music on the jinke e-ink reader. (v2 and v8, see http://www.jinke.com.cn/compagesql/english/index.asp )
Apple is becoming the Boston Red Sox to Microsoft's New York Yankees, an archenemy with the same evils. Buy jinke.
beware of adobe's DRM for e-books!
it will lock out the use of multiple user's on apple's so-called 'digital hub'!
it appears that the adobe authentication system will validate against only one account per machine .... so that means that schools families & businesses which have multiple users per machine will NOT be able to download & authenticate on the same machine (and from there onto a variety of ipods).
it will be very important to know how fairplay (apple's drm) will interact with adobe's dumbass drm!
i have asked this question to adobe & they dont even bother responding!
and amazon (their biggeste reseller) has Level 3 t/s who do not understand the difference between multi-users on a single machine vs many users on multiple machines (not kidding!)
so this whole issue of drm for e-books is a GOTCHA! (surely an individual will want to be able to start reading at home; then read more while commuting; and then continue reading at work/school -- three devices (one of which will certainly be a video ipod).
and how will collabrative learning be possible with e-books if the drm locks it down in bizarre ways?!
i hope someone at apple is thinking about these issues (like social networking) so that the e-book experience has a strong value -add ...
because with e-paper or nan OLED, the conventional ipod interface will not be optimized (hello some XP tablet concepts!) for e-books.
Another rumor a few weeks back over on Gizmodo suggested the next iPod would also be able to speak the names of albums/tracks using "famous actors voices".
Put these two stories together and I believe that Apple is going to provide a read-out-load eBook reader, turning any book into an audio book...
http://www.ruxp.net/2006/07/video-ipod-to-obsolete-audiobooks.asp
Wow. I have yet to buy an iPod although I strongly support iTunes. My reason being I don't get around much. However I have been meaning to buy some more books soon (I mostly just read EGM and CPU these days.... My Grammer and Spelling have gone down hill, partly because of that and partly because I had a Terrible English Teacher last year) and Apple may give me the incentive to. I used to love to read but eventually I just ran out of things I like to read. However a few local book stores aren't really there to solve anything. At least this way there would be a wide variety of books to choose from no less.
As for how it would affect the eBook market. I have no idea how well video is doing in iTunes but the majority of the podcasts I subscribe to are video so it may not be doing half bad.
Digital Music as I recall wasn't so large until the iPod. In fact if I recall correctly, the iPod acted as a trojan for the whole market. Why can't they do the same for eBooks? It would at least help save some paper in the long term if not the short term. I'm about to go into High School and I am scared of the number of Text Books I may have to deal with. I wouldn't mind carrying some books around school as iPods will likely not be allowed, but when I'm on my way Home I don't want a pile of books with me. I have tried searching for alternatives but a backpack, until now has been the only way I could see. When I found out about eBooks a few months ago I finally saw that as my Chance to escape textbooks. However I'm going to have to find specific textbooks which I'll find out about soon I hope. So now I'm looking at eBook readers, Tablet PCs, and I'm about to buy a new phone. If Apple offers a way for me to carry all my books on a 3.5-5" screen (I expect them to redesign the whole thing this year judging from recent Patents) I would have more then enough reason to finally shell out for an iPod.
Oh yeah, the people talking about the Zune. You don't even have nearly enough to go on. All we know is that the Zune is a Software/Hardware Platform that is going to burn all of Microsoft's recent partners. Oh and it has Wi-Fi. I admit to subscribing to updates, and so far we have nothing.
Sebastian
I love the idea of an Apple eBook. This is just one of the new iPod-ish things their working on (or so patent rumors say). There is also Wi-Fi, bluetooth, touch-screen, 6 and 8 gb nanos, etc.
The only thing im thinking is that the eBook thing would be seperate from those video iPods. Kinda like how nanos and videos are seperate. The video iPods might have a screen size change, but they probably wouldnt be connected to the eBook.
I 100% would buy one as soon as it came out. Especially if it allowed for textbooks to be added and notes to be written on it. This would have a lot of buyers if they make a nice, efficient design for it. (Knowing iPods, they will).
It would be extremely nice if they had a USB port on the side to plug in a printer to A) print out the book or B) Print out notes that you took in it.
Someone brought up a good point of the no return thing, yet, they would be a lot cheaper than actual textbooks, and if u still arent convinced, you have friends and limewire to get them from.
If it has a decent sized screen, nice features (voice to read it, maybe allowing it to have background music?) it would definetly be an awesome product
so i purchased my green ipod nano second generation at wal mart. does anyone know if i can get it replace by walmart or APPLE for free....oh and would they beable to fix it without my reciept....but i still have the box it came in.....or if someone could just tell me hats wrong with it..heres the story...i charge it for all day, so long enough for it to be fully charged. then i took it off the cord turned it on and nothing happened, even when i pushed a button. i even tried to reset it but nothing happened. so if anyone could get back to me soon i really miss my ipod