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Where's the iMag store?
You know, at first I wasn't so impressed with the iPad, but the more I thought about the ways in which you can use it, the more excited I got. As a piece of leisure technology - something you just have laying around your living room like a newspaper - it's a lot more user friendly than a laptop or an iPhone. However, I don't think the iPad is revolutionary. By now we're well familiar with multi-touch devices and apps stores. And let's face it, ebooks are nothing new. The iBooks app isn't going to be breaking any ground, but you know what would? An iMag store. Sure, there're sites like emagazines.com that offer browser-based magazines, but there's no one universal storefront for emagazines that's easy to use. Even Zinio doesn't make the emagazine buying experience as easy or pleasurable as buy a song from the iTunes store. Can you imaging what an iMag app might be like? Bjørn Rybakken, creative director at Tangram Design, an Oslo based design agency, sent me these mock-ups (and you guys know how I love mock-ups) which got me thinking what the iMag store might be like.
All about EPUB, the ebook standard for Apple's iBookstore
Overlooked in much of the hype about the iPad announcement earlier in the week was a comment by Steve Jobs in the Keynote presentation where he mentioned that the iBooks app for iPad would take advantage of the popular EPUB format for electronic books. Since we're all going to get a lot more familiar with this format in the near future, we felt it would be a good time to provide our readers with more information about EPUB. EPUB is the same format used by the popular Stanza [free, iTunes link] app for iPhone and iPod touch. It's a free and open standard format created by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), and it's designed for reflowable content that can be optimized to whatever device is being used to read a book file. The IDPF has championed EPUB as a single format that can be used by publishers and conversion houses, as well as for distribution and sale of electronic books. The format is meant to function as a single format that publishers and conversion houses can use in-house, as well as for distribution and sale. It supports digital rights management, something that's sure to warm the cockles of the hearts of publishers, but there's no DRM scheme that is currently specified as part of the format. Other ebook readers that currently use the format include the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony Reader, iRex Digital Reader, and the iRiver Story.
Amazon pulled Macmillan titles due to price conflict -- confirmed (update: they're back!)
Macmillan's US CEO, John Sargent just confirmed that Amazon pulled its inventory of Macmillan books in a powerful response to Macmillan's new pricing demands. Macmillan offered the new pricing on Thursday, just a day after Apple announced Macmillan as a major publishing partner in its new iBookstore -- a revelation that certainly factored into the discussions along with Skiff and other emerging e-book distribution and publishing models. During the meeting with Amazon in Seattle, Sargent outlined what he calls an "agency model" that will go into effect in early March. Under the terms offered, if Amazon chose to stay with its existing terms of sale then it would suffer "extensive and deep windowing of titles." Amazon's hardball response was to pull all of Macmillan's titles from its Kindle site and Amazon.com by the time Sargent arrived back in New York. Macmillan claims that its new model is meant to keep retailers, publishers, and authors profitable in the emerging electronic frontier while encouraging competition amongst new devices and new stores. It gives retailers a 30% commission and sets the price for each book individually: digital editions of most adult trade books will be priced from $5.99 to $14.99 while first releases will "almost always" hit the electronic shelves day on date with the physical hardcover release and be priced between $12.99 and $14.99 -- pricing that will be dynamic over time. So when Steve Jobs said that Apple's and Amazon's prices would be the same, he was almost certainly referring to the $12.99 to $14.99 e-book pricing originally rumored by the New York Times -- not the $9.99 price that Amazon customers have been enjoying so far. Funny how Jobs, the man who once refused to grant the music labels' request for variable pricing on digital music so that Apple could maintain a low fixed $0.99 price per track, is suddenly the best friend of a new breed of content owners. Guess the old dog just learned a new trick, eh? Update: Amazon has conceded, but not willfully. It has decided to give the consumer the option of paying too much for a bestseller, and frankly, that's the right thing to do. Let 'em vote with their wallets, we say. The full response is after the break.
Macmillan books gone from Amazon.com, Steve Jobs grins wryly from his throne of golden iPads
We hate to iPad-ify the news so bluntly (matching lower back tattoos aside), but the timing of this one is uncanny. Mere days after Apple's announcement of a deal with Macmillan for its new iBooks store, and right after a shakycam video of Steve Jobs predicting some publishers would be pulling books from the Kindle due to a lack of satisfaction with Amazon's prices, Macmillan's books have mysteriously disappeared from Amazon.com. Even the paper ones, like the new Wheel Of Time book, pictured to the right. You can of course buy books from the other retailers that Amazon's systems support (along with Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.ca), but there's no getting a Macmillan publication straight from Amazon.com. Without a peep about the issue from Amazon or Macmillan, it's easy to see this as some sort of wild glitch -- after all, what could possibly cause such a rift between these two companies to end sales of all Macmillan books, instead of just the e-books for Kindle? Hopefully we find out soon, before our heads implode conspiratorially.
iPad vs. Kindle: Which way to go?
In my post yesterday I touched on the likely long faces at Amazon H.Q. in Seattle. The iPad is something I'm sure they wished hadn't happened, but of course it did, and I thought I'd take a closer look at the competition between the Amazon and Apple devices. First off, if you were thinking of buying a Kindle DX, I'd say forget it. The iPad is a knockout punch to that device. At just ten dollars cheaper than the low end iPad, there just is no contest. The two devices are the same size (both are 9.7"), but the iPad has a color screen and can do a lot of things that Kindle just can't do. Yes, the DX has free 3G wireless for buying books, but the iPad has 802.11n, and for most common usage, it just isn't that hard to find a place to hook up. Book prices may be a bit higher on the iPad, but they will be in color and multimedia with the promise of moving video, color charts and pictures, and so on. I also consider the on-screen keyboard an advantage for the iPad -- the keyboard on the Kindle is basically a waste of space. As a travel companion, all you can do on the DX is read, although there is a rudimentary browser, and more functionality coming. Subscriptions are another Kindle selling point, but it's not a stretch to believe that Apple has something like that coming as well. Comparing the iPad to the Kindle DX, I just don't think there is any contest, and Amazon is going to be forced to think about how they are pricing and marketing the Kindle DX.
Was McGraw-Hill omitted from the iPad announcement?
Ever since the supposedly leaked confirmation on Tuesday about the iPad, rumors have been flying around about McGraw-Hill and its CEO's appearance on CNBC. Not minutes after posting it, people first assumed that Terry McGraw was in trouble with Steve, and then rumors showed up that the leak may have been done on purpose. During yesterday's announcement, McGraw-Hill was notably not among the iBooks vendors listed on the screen behind Steve, and more rumors suggested that they'd been pulled from the announcement in retaliation (though Steve did say that educational literature would be a big deal for iBooks). Rumors and hearsay, all -- so what's the real deal? Digital Daily has the first official word from McGraw-Hill post announcement, and guess what? It's a denial. They now say that they had never worked with Apple on the launch, and that Terry McGraw didn't announce anything -- he was just repeating "speculative comments" that he'd heard about educational literature on the new device. Of course, they didn't really sound like that on Tuesday, but it's possible, especially considering that the original Wall Street Journal leak never mentioned McGraw-Hill at all. So maybe we gave McGraw too much credit. Or not enough, depending on how you look at it -- after all, he was right about it being based on the iPhone OS, and right about iBooks, too. But unless you're a fan of conspiracy theories, odds are McGraw-Hill wasn't a victim of Steve's vengeance: they were never in the presentation in the first place. [via MacRumors]
iBooks could be US-only at launch
Apple Australia has published iPad content to their site, and some keen-eyed observers have noticed what's missing. The list of features explained on the site includes much of what we saw yesterday -- Safari, Mail, YouTube, video ... all but iBooks and the iBookstore. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see a footnote stating that iBooks will be U.S.-only at launch. In the meantime, all iPhone/iPod touch apps will run on the iPad, international uses can grab the Kindle app [Free - iTunes link] (the irony is not lost on us), Classics [Free - iTunes link] or any of the other ereaders in the App Store [iTunes link]. Of course, we're a few months out of launch so things might change. But we're not holding our breath. [Via Engadget]
iPad iBooks will be US only at launch?
Apple Australia just became one of the first international sites to introduce the iPad to its pages. That gives us a pretty good indication of Apple's plans for a global launch: same "late March" ship for Wi-Fi only models and April for 3G models (carrier yet to be announced). Fine, but it's not what we see that has us intrigued so much as what's missing: the iBookstore and any indication of the iBooks app. This doesn't look like an oversight but rather its purposeful removal from any images or feature lists. Guess we shouldn't be too surprised; going back to the press release we see the following: "iBookstore will be available in the US at launch." Seems Apple meant to say, only in the US, eh? Rest easy Bezos, the iPad has a long way to go before it's any competition to the Kindle. Update: Footnote on the bottom of the Apple Australia iPad site says "iBooks available in the US only." Evidence after the break. Update 2: UK site is up sans iBooks which doesn't bode well for Europe considering it's the home for many of the world's top publishing houses. One sliver of hope was spotted in the iPad video promo that's footnoted with the following text: "iBooks available in U.S. and select countries." Hopefully soon rather than later. Screenshot after the break. [Thanks, Eytan D] [Thanks, Robert S.]
All of the news from today's iPad announcement
What a day it's been. The tablet is finally out. That's right, the tablet we've been waiting years for is real and will be on sale soon, only it's called the iPad, and it's pretty similar to the iPhone. Just in case you missed something today, here's everything we've learned about the magical and revolutionary device, all lined up in one easy-to-browse list. Just think, in 60 days, you'll be able to flip through these posts with your finger. On a 9.7" IPS screen, I mean. Liveblog and major news Apple Event Metaliveblog Apple announces the iPad AAPL goes on a rollercoaster ride See tweets live during the event on @tuawlive iPad pricing starts at $499, available in 60/90 days Hardware Apple's official iPad video, specs page Apple making its own chips, starting with the A4 iPad will ship with 802.11n Wi-Fi, 3G optional Apple announces keyboard dock for iPad Five iPad accessories available at launch What's missing from the iPad Software All iPhone apps will run on the iPad Apple announces iBooks, an e-reader for iPad Apple shows off new versions of iWork apps for iPad iPhone OS 3.2 SDK released, supports iPad but covered by NDA
AAPL goes on a roller-coaster ride
The above image from SingularityDsgn graphically shows the wild roller-coaster ride that Apple's stock has been on today. It traded at roughly 1.5% below Tuesday's closing price heading into today's iPad announcement, but started climbing during the iBooks announcement. AAPL's stock took a major leap when pricing information was released, and is currently trading around 209.69, up about 1.75% (please note that these numbers fluctuate frequently). Lots of jumping is about right for any Apple event, though the big jump when price was announced is somewhat surprising. AAPL actually tends to drop after an event, as there are so many rumors flying around ahead of time that investors are easily underwhelmed. But it looks like especially the pricing news won their approval today. As always, this is not official stock information, and you shouldn't make any buy or sell decisions based on what you read here.
Apple reveals iBook Store and app for the iPad
Put this down as something else rumored that's come to fruition today. Apple's just announced iBooks, an e-reader app and bookstore (called iBookstore) for the iPad, using the ePub format. We're seeing prices around $12.99 to $14.99 so far... looks pretty slick! We're sure Jeff Bezos and Co. are none too pleased to see this one, but we'll have to see for ourselves what reading's like on a non-E Ink screen. There's a gallery after the break. Be sure to hit up our hands-on right here!
Florida school may trash 200 Macs to go PC-only
This could be the saddest thing I've seen all week (and I've watched a few Cubs games): a Florida school is declaring itself PC-only, and apparently was planning to toss almost 200 Macs in the trash to get new Windows computers for the kids and teachers. Hearing that kids will have to use Windows is sad enough, but tossing out working Macs, even if they're old G3 models? Not cool at all. The teachers were apparently also told originally that they couldn't buy them or give them away to kids either -- it was the trash bin for these machines. Cult of Mac also updates with pictures of the Macs, and we warn you, if all of those machines really are headed for the landfill, it's a little scary to look at. Fortunately, the outcry has caused school officials to reconsider (or at least state their position more clearly), and it looks like what they'll be doing is assessing the machines to see if they can be refurbished and then given away or sent off to a recycling center. The other problem apparently lies in the software -- giving away the machines is no problem, but the school has to make sure all the software is cleaned off of the computers, as they don't have licenses to distribute software that way. And as the school administrator says, the computers aren't much good without an OS on them. But surely we can save these guys. Apple, want to step in here and grant this school some licenses to keep these computers (208 in total, many of which are likely workable, even at "five to ten years old") in the hands of people who can use them? It would be a shame if the school had to toss working computers because their hands were tied by OS X software licenses.
Cats and dogs totally dig Macs
Christopher Phin over at his wildly optimistically named blog, Receding Hairline, has brought my attention to a brilliant Flickr group called "Cats love Macs." As the name implies, the photos all feature two elements: a cat and a Mac. With over 230 members, it's pretty clear that cats really do like Macs. There's plenty of space for canines in the similar group called "Dogs love Macs too!" Some highlights from the cat group include Mac owner's pets lounging on toasty iBooks and pawing at new MacBooks or even jumping on top of eMacs. Fortunately for the owners, no poo is involved at this point. Now, how about a "Humans love Macs" Flickr group?
Setting up 3000 iBooks in 3 days
Ever wonder what 3000 iBooks looks like? Or how you might go about configuring them? What if you only had three days to do it? Apple consultant Jaron Brass has an amazing gallery of photos. [via Digg.com]
Proof of Intel iBooks at MWSF?
More early evidence that Apple is set to release Intel-based portable and/or desktop computers at MacWorld Expo San Francisco in two weeks. EMSNow is a website that tracks news from the electronic manufacturing services industry, and they have an article today stating:"It will help increasing the total production of first quarter next year for both companies. However, Quanta and Asustek both make no comments on this. Apple computer stated it would exhibit its desktop and notebook with Intel processor at Mac World Expo in San Francisco, USA from 9th to 13th January next year."Is this definitive? Not quite, but it's clearly an indicator as to what might be coming. At the very least, I suspect we may see Intel iBooks announced, rather than released.[Thanks to reader Kevin Duvall for spotting and submitting this tip].
What would you do for a Mac?
We are all painfully aware of the madness that happened down in Henrico County when the promise of cheap, old iBooks was offered up. Stampeding, yelling, and people urinating on themselves were all activities reported to have happened at this sale.The question becomes, dear reader, what would you do for a super cheap Mac? Keep in mind that the Mac in question would be just like those iBooks: used for a few years by students and perhaps in working condition.I wouldn't even get up before 10am to get in line for one of them, how about you?
