iBooks Changes the Reading Experience

Let me get this out of the way from the start: if you haven’t figured it out by now, I love Apple gear. I’ve been using Macs for more than two decades and waited in a (relatively short) line the first day the iPad 2 was available, as my latest tribute to the platform. That said, I call Apple out for their mistakes; I’m no apologist or so-called “fan boy”. So I hope you won’t discount what I’m about to tell you as a case of me being an advertising shill for Apple (I have no affiliation with Apple at all – this is just something I feel strongly about).

You Need an iPad.

Clear enough for you? : ) There’s been a lot of talk lately about the iPad and Apple’s plans to revolutionize learning and academic text books, and I see no reason to doubt them. While the brand new iBooks Author application (used for authoring books of all kinds for the iPad)  is a little rough around the edges — as an author who is actively developing for this platform I’d like to see better import/export for ePUB 3, as well as more WYSIWYG capability — iBooks 2 (the reader application) is a fantastic platform for readers of all types.

No Hassle Bookmarking

Every page you bookmark with a tap of your finger is automatically tagged with a small “red ribbon”, and is logged in a special section of the Table of Contents (which is one click away at all times). This section provides an organized list of the Chapter title or section names you marked, and their page number. All you have to do is tap a bookmarked item in the list and iBooks 2 zips you there in an instant. No flipping through pages, no dog-ears, just efficiency. There’s more… Continue reading »