iBook and Kindle Questions

[drwinston001]

Hi iPad lovers,

I've got a couple of questions on the iBook and Kindle apps:

1. is it possible to read books on the iBook format on a PC?
2. How do you put .mobi files for the Kindle onto your iPad?
3. Is it possible to change iBook books to Kindle books and therefore be able to read them on a PC?

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[Rasputina]

1 ibooks bought in the ibookstore can not be read on/in anything other than the ibooks app on a compatible device.

2 the ipad kindle app only reads Amazons .amz files

3 you'd have to find the file and strip the DRM, I can't help you with that.

 

[Bremen]

Why even mess with iBooks? Just read Kindle books on the iPad with the Kindle app, and on your PC with Kindle for PC. Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

 

[iDharma]

Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

Not necessarily. I've found that they are frequently the same price. I bought an iBook just last night that was priced the same in both stores.

 

[iPadCharlie]

Why even mess with iBooks? Just read Kindle books on the iPad with the Kindle app, and on your PC with Kindle for PC. Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

That's the difference between an app developed by a company that is primarily in the business of selling books (at least that's how they started) and company in the business of selling electronic hardware and software!

 

[iVan]

When you have a Kindle account it allows you to have your drm books on several devices including your computer.

 

[Bremen]

Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

Not necessarily. I've found that they are frequently the same price. I bought an iBook just last night that was priced the same in both stores.

Yes they are frequently the same price, and frequently Kindle will be cheaper. Tough to find a book that's cheaper on the iBooks store.... and if you are the kind of person that removes DRM so you actually OWN the book (like I am) there is no way yet to remove the DRM from iBooks, but you can from Kindle.....

I actually don't like the Kindle, or their non ePub format... but they have the maturest, best over all priced, and easiest to use ebook store there is...... I assume the iBooks store will improve, it is only a few months old......

 

[Rasputina]

Why even mess with iBooks? Just read Kindle books on the iPad with the Kindle app, and on your PC with Kindle for PC. Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

ibooks is compatible with open epub and pdf so I can keep all my stuff on one app. Kindle app is only compatible with kindle books bought from Amazon. I do have both apps, because I already owned a kindle reader before the iphone app and the ipad even came out. But kindle app alone does not suffice.

The formatting of ebooks is often better on ibooks than kindle, I've compared a lot of them.

 

[Bremen]

In that case get books at Kobo (ePub) and remove the DRM...

Go here http://www.ipadforums.net/ibooks/5642-question-bremen-kobo-books-vs-ibooks.html and read post #6... I give the method for removing DRM from Kobo and other ebook stores that use the ADE DRM....

 

[imon32red]

Why even mess with iBooks? Just read Kindle books on the iPad with the Kindle app, and on your PC with Kindle for PC. Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

I agree. I like the ability to read my Kindle books on my PC, Kindle, iPad and Blackberry. If the book that I want is available in the ibookstore and Kindle store for the same price, I always go for the Kindle book.

 

[mossman]

I really like iBooks to read, it just feels more sophisticated than the other eReaders. However the Kindle selection is by far the best of all the sites, and the app seems to be improving all the time. I don't mind hopping from app to app, but generally my go-to apps have become iBooks and now Kindle as well.

From a business perspective, Apple really needs to get book companies to leverage the color screen and start posting books that the Kindle does not have. The DK book series is a great example. Books like that would look fantastic on the iPad, and the Kindle can't match it (the device and the app). If iBooks then added a separate mode where you can zoom in on a page to see detail in an image -- that would be fantastic.

 

[drwinston001]

Why even mess with iBooks? Just read Kindle books on the iPad with the Kindle app, and on your PC with Kindle for PC. Kindle books are cheaper than Ibooks as well.......

I agree in part. I love the fact I can read Kindle books on my work PC and I get through a helluva lot of books because of that fact. However, I think the look and feel of iBooks is far superior to that of the Kindle app.

My main issue however, if that I have about 400 books that can be read on the iBook platform and not the Kindle, hence my problem. If I could somehow enable to the ePub books to be visible on the Kindle app (and Kindle for PC) I'd be sorted.

 

[Bremen]

From your post above I then assume you have about 400 ePub books.... you can use iBooks of course on the iPad and Stanza or FBReader (my personal fav) on the PC. I understand that it would be great to just use on cross-platform app.... but as with most things, each company wants it their way. That is why Ford parts don't fit Toyota

I end up using 5 reading apps on my iPad, and actually for me it works pretty good. I am one of those that have several books going at once, and it's kind of handy.....

The Kindle and it's app version is a very closed system.....

 

[iPadster]

I own a nook and iPad, I added the kindle and the barns and noble reader app to my iPad and love the fact that I can always get the best price on any ebook. The kindle app mimics the iBook page turning and the b&n app now allows two pages in landscape view.

 

[drwinston001]

I think my main problem is I don't like reading more than 1 book at the same time. It seems the solution to my problem would be to read a book at work on Kindle for PC and then read another book from my collection of ePub books on iBook when I'm at home.

If someone, namely Apple, would be so kind to invent iBooks for PC with Whispersync that be just great. Please.