Amazon.com removes Macmillan books from site!!

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Sheryl Nantus

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Do you have an actual source on this? Because I've heard the iPad will be able to read a variety of formats. My current (very small) collection of e-books is in .pdf format, so as to be universally compatible with everything. I would have a very hard time believing the iPad will be unable to read .pdf files (though it may use a different program to open them than e-books from the iBookstore).

ETA: I'd assumed iBooks would be like iTunes, which links directly with the iTunes store but is also capable of playing any .mp3 file downloaded from anywhere.

no idea - as I said, I just assumed that, like Apple software in general, that it wouldn't be compatible.

if it *is*, then they should be using that fact as a major selling point. Still won't get me to BUY one, since I don't have $400 lying around (and the keyboard doesn't work for me, too small).

I'm holding out for the $99 ebook reader, myself.

start laughing now...

:D
 

Bubastes

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IIRC, the iPad can read PDF files. I suspect iBooks will be like iTunes as well.
 

ChristineR

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Wikipedia says that iPads support .pdf as well as a bunch of others, but not Kindle files. It looks like the books from Apple/iBooks will be in EPUB format, which is an open source, free, no license format. Kindles don't read EPUB, but it should be easy for people to create their own license free EPUB. I'm not sure about PDF--I know Open Office can create them, but I'm not sure if you can sell you PDF without paying a license.
 

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sorry, I didn't make myself clear.

I believe, and I could be wrong, but you will only be able to buy iBooks from the Apple store FOR the iPad. For example, you can buy Kindle books from other publishers and sites other than Amazon. You don't have to buy all your books from Amazon.

but you will have to buy from the iBook store if you get an iPad. Thus, my use of the word monopoly.

I really doubt this. My reasons for doubting this:

1. The iPad will run pretty much any application that the iPhone or iPod Touch runs; the list of exceptions are those that rely on the GPS or the cell phone. Right now, you can read ebooks in Safari, the Web browser, in Stanza, Kindle.app, eReader, and a number of smaller less known ebook readers on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

2. Apple sells hardware. The software--even the OS--exists to sell hardware. iTunes content brings in what are in the larger scheme of Apple's revenue minimal amounts of money. They aren't interested in a content monopoly.

3. ePub, the file format used by iBooks, is an open standard ebook format already being used by several publishers. It's essentially text files, xml/XHTML /CSS files in a .zip archive. It can support DRM, but it isn't required.

4. Apple and Steve Jobs are neither of them fans of DRM. In part because it doesn't work, and in part because the DRM that iTunes used "Fair Play" was an excessive cost in terms of the amount of tech support it needed.
 

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Then when they bring other versions out with updated and expanded features, they will be able to increase the price. This is the same crap they did with the Iphone, overpriced the initial version and then had to give customers credits to upgrade to a new version in less than a years time.

This is not true. Apple did not give "up grade credits," nor did they "have to give credits.

The early adopters of the iPhone--the very early adopters--were given a 100.00 gift certificate to use at Apple stores.
 

JulieB

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Wikipedia says that iPads support .pdf as well as a bunch of others, but not Kindle files. It looks like the books from Apple/iBooks will be in EPUB format, which is an open source, free, no license format. Kindles don't read EPUB, but it should be easy for people to create their own license free EPUB. I'm not sure about PDF--I know Open Office can create them, but I'm not sure if you can sell you PDF without paying a license.

And as the ads say, there's an app for that. The iPad may not support Kindle natively, but it'll run iPhone apps, and Kindle has one for the iPhone.
 

Snivscriv

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Did anyone notice that Apple seems to be using a similar marketing technique for the Ipad that Amazon uses for the Kindle. Specifically, according to the Bookseller.com article at http://www.thebookseller.com/news/115125-apple-tells-publishers-what-price-to-charge-for-ibooks.html, Apple is setting maximum prices for ebooks based on what the hardcover price is. If a hardcover is priced at $22 or less, the publisher has to agree to a maximum ebook price of $9.99. As the hardcover price goes up, so does the ebook price, but not by much.

Isn't that the same approach that Amazon was trying to force publishers to accept by fighting with Macmillan? Obviously, Apple isn't going to stop selling hardcover books to pressure publishers because Apple doesn't sell hardcover books at all, but it isn't going to sell an ebook that's priced too high either. Thoughts?
 
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