BookExpoAmerica
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Apple won't exhibit at BookExpo America after all
Those expecting to see an Apple exhibit at BookExpo America (BEA) later this month will be disappointed, as the company won't have a booth after all. PaidContent reported yesterday that Apple would have an booth at the show, presumably to promote iBooks. The BEA website even listed Apple as an exhibitor (that listing has since been removed). Today, a BEA representative has stated that Apple personnel will be there to talk with publishers in private, and not to exhibit. PaidContent has published a retraction. Bad luck for fans hoping to chat with Apple reps and check out a booth full of goodies. Drat, we say! [Via The Mac Observer]
Apple to exhibit at BookExpo America for the first time
Apple is making a rare appearance at a third-party trade show later this month. The company has reserved a booth in a "prime location" at BookExpo America, which runs from May 23-26. BookExpo America is the largest trade book fair in America, and Apple's booth will be situated by the booths of Random House, Disney Book Group and MacMillian. PaidContent seems to think that Apple is simply attending the BookExpo to raise awareness of its iBooks platform as e-book sales heat up, and it isn't expected that Apple will announce any iBook-related updates. That doesn't take into account the company's dramatically-reduced trade show profile, however, which makes every booth buy newsworthy. The Digital Reader, which broke the news of Apple's attendance, speculates that the rumors of Apple planning something special for Apple Retail's 10th anniversary could have something to do with iBooks. Apple digital libraries, perhaps? [hat tip MacRumors]
Ebook publishers seek universal format, lament Apple and Amazon's closed ecosystems
You don't need to sit down, we're not about to hit you with any shocking news, but a recent BookExpo America convention has given publishers the chance to air out their laundry list of complaints. Seriously, do these guys ever have anything positive to say? Now they've managed to pinpoint a flaw in the Kindle and iPad's resounding success, identifying the two ebook reading platforms as closed, and expressing a yearning for a universal and open format that all books can be published and consumed on. Of course, they wouldn't be publishers if they didn't also lust after robust DRM measures, which might explain why they're not roundly supporting the readily available EPUB format. It has DRM options, but perhaps they're not gnarly enough for the dudes responsible for bringing us the psychological horror of the Twilight series. We still don't like the suggestion that the people, Amazon primarily, who popularized this market should just open it up out of the goodness of their own hearts -- maybe we would if publishers ever showed themselves capable of doing similarly noble things.
