I have had a Sony reader for a little over a year and I am extremely happy with it. I am very interested in the ibook portion of the ipad. Will it have the epaper format to make it easy on the eyes like the other readers? Will the Sony ebook library files work with it? Any idea on the availability of books with this? I am not as concerned with pricing as I am availability. I am concerned about selling the Sony Reader in favor of the ipad then having trouble getting the books I want and/or not being able to use the books I have already purchased from Sony.

The iBooks app is the one I have been waiting for! Wish they would come out with more info but I think they are making it up as they go.

BDalton and Walden sp? bookstores are both closing their stores here, I think they see the handwriting on the wall.

Welcome to the site! I don't believe there is a current app for the iPhone or iPod touch that allows you to read the Sony E-Book library. I would be very interested in your opinion of how the iPad screen compares to the Sony reader screen once you have a chance to check it out.

Originally Posted by nightbreed

I have had a Sony reader for a little over a year and I am extremely happy with it. I am very interested in the ibook portion of the ipad. Will it have the epaper format to make it easy on the eyes like the other readers? Will the Sony ebook library files work with it? Any idea on the availability of books with this? I am not as concerned with pricing as I am availability. I am concerned about selling the Sony Reader in favor of the ipad then having trouble getting the books I want and/or not being able to use the books I have already purchased from Sony.

There is absolutely no compatibility between the old .lrf Sony books and the epub books the iPad will use.

The Sony Library is a closed system similar to Amazon's Kindle, where you have to register a Sony device. All books are copy protected and only six copies between six registered devices in your account can be made to store them. In a system so heavily controlled it is highly improbable that a non-computer device be allowed access. But I may be wrong.

There is a huge selection of free ebooks available on the web. You can find at least 10,000 public domain ebooks in the Mobile Read Library.

I was originally planning to get a Sony Reader, but will now get the iPad instead

I just hope they hurry with bringing the iBookstore to the UK!

There are two issues here - the file format and DRM applied. The Sony and many others read the epub format and I believe the lrf format has fallen by the wayside. Sony uses the Adobe ADEPT DRM and as I understand it, the iBooks will be encrypted with Apple's Fairplay DRM.

The real issue seems to be the DRM as epub seems to have won the format wars for most excepting the Amazon Kindle. Barnes & Noble uses the epub format and ADOBE ADEPT DRM similiar to the Sony, but each has their own proprietary implementation of the DRM. As such, books purchased from one vendor are not useable on the other's device.

I am not an expert on formats and DRM but this is my understanding. Now Apple will be adding to the mix. While I do not promote or condone digital content priacy, I am really frustrated by all of the formats and the variations caused by the DRM. I have had my fill of problems caused by the DRM following a drive crash or computer upgrade.

Maybe I am simply a grumpy old man dreaming of an easier digital world..

No I agree and I'm not a grumpy old man... well the children I work with think I am. DRM tends to mean an eventual pain in the ass for the legitimate consumer. DRM interferes with a "it just works" model.

I imagine the iBookstore UK will have a different selection then iBookstore US. I recently learned of some interesting differences in UK vs US libel and slander laws which would prevent a good number of books sold in the US from ever being sold directly in the UK.

I am interested in getting the Ipad...I am wondering about the size ( dimensions ) and weight of it..and will I be able to play the games on it that I play on facebook...thank you for any information anyone can give me

DRM is stupid. Why cripple an open standard with technology which does nothing to prevent piracy yet is harmful to customer experience?

Originally Posted by Dorje

I imagine the iBookstore UK will have a different selection then iBookstore US. I recently learned of some interesting differences in UK vs US libel and slander laws which would prevent a good number of books sold in the US from ever being sold directly in the UK.

I somehow doubt that... Mind telling me what books these are, and what differences in libel law would prevent their sale in the UK?