Apple yesterday released an update to the premier reading app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, bringing iBooks up to version 3.0. The app was originally launched almost three years ago in January 2010 and is now reaching its third iteration with improved iCloud integration, a new scrolling theme, improved social sharing and extended language support. So, it’s been through three versions in almost three years and perhaps the weirdest thing in this time has been the fact that there is no iBooks for Mac.
It’s something I’ve talked about previously and I’m racking my brains as to why Apple has not released an iBooks equivalent for the Mac, instead forcing users to download third party software like Calibre. I thought perhaps that Apple was simply avoiding the issue because there was no easy or straightforward way for them to make an e-reader for the Mac that was ‘Apple’ enough, but Amazon seem to have managed it pretty well with their browser based reader.
Then I thought about rights issues, about whether there are any legal issues surrounding users reading the same book on iOS device or OS X device, but if they can do it with music, then books should be easier, shouldn’t they? Once again, I came back to the same argument…that you can do it with Amazon.
So, I’m stuck. An iBooks equivalent for Mac must have been talked about at length in Apple, but the idea seems to have been discarded, as it surely can’t take this long to come up with one?
It’s a weird Apple thing.
Lengthy…