5 ways Apple could improve iBooks
It's no secret that I love traditional paper books, and I think e-books have a long way to go before they can even begin to compete with physical books. As digital books stand now, they're as much fun to read on the iPad as is watching an IMAX movie projected against a brick wall. That being said, I've come up with a list of five improvements I would like Apple to make to the iBooks app, which I believe could make the e-book reading experience more enjoyable. I wrote this list with the iPad in mind, but I'm sure some of these feature improvements would also benefit the iPhone version of iBooks.
1. Lifelike paper stock backgrounds. Right now, iBooks lets you read a book's text against a glaring white backdrop or an unnatural sepia backdrop. You will find neither of these backdrops in a printed book. Since printed books are made of paper, their pages not only have a distinct feel, but they also have subtle visual variations of the paper stock that the words are printed on. The visual appeal of the fibers in a paper page became apparent when I imported a book I had scanned into my iBooks library. The book was an old 1920s French cookbook whose binding had broken. A year ago, I scanned all 60 pages of it into my computer and saved it as a PDF in fear of the original copy becoming lost or even more damaged. This French cookbook was the first scanned book I had ever read in iBooks, and I noticed immediately how much more enjoyable it was because the pages looked real.
Adding lifelike paper stock backgrounds to iBooks wouldn't be a hard challenge, and it would give the e-books a more comfortable feel. Also, if Apple let publishers choose from between different textures, it would be a way for publishing houses to gain back some control over the look and feel of their books. Now granted, adding textured backgrounds to e-books probably would be pointless until Apple adds a Retina Display to the iPad, as lifelike backgrounds where you could see the digital "pulp" wouldn't be achievable until our eyes can't distinguish individual pixels on the screen. But once Apple does add a Retina Display, there's no reason not to have e-books look more like paper books.
2. Accurate page edges. When you read a physical book, even if the book doesn't have page numbers, you know when you're getting close to the end of it because the thickness on the right side of the book decreases with each page turn. Reading an e-book in iBooks always displays the same number of page edges on either side of the book -- even when you're on the last page. An accurate visual representation of the number of pages read and the number of pages left to be read on the left and right side, respectively, of the e-book would again be one of those nice little features that bring physical books and e-books closer to parity.
3. Treat PDFs like books. When Apple introduced iBooks 1.2, it added the much-requested feature of turning iBooks into a PDF reader. Unfortunately, how it implemented iBooks' PDF handling makes it seem like some programmer at Apple hastily added it on before running out the door at 5 PM to catch the last volleyball game at the company Bar-B-Q. As it stands, you can't even view two PDF pages side by side in iBooks. That's just baffling. Likewise, you can't turn PDF pages with the cool page-flip eye candy that's enabled for books. It would be awesome to be able to read a PDF front-to-back just like you can an e-book.
4. Enable interactive text in PDFs. One advantage e-books do have over paper books, in iBooks anyway, is that you can easily markup text by highlighting it or creating digital notes. You can also select a word and look up its definition right on the page. Again though, Apple left this functionality out with PDFs. The only text interaction you have in a PDF in iBooks is searching, and even then, you're limited to using the search field; you can't just select a word and tap "search" like you can in a book.
5. Let me see the front and back covers of a book. The only places you can see the cover of a book is when you are viewing it on your iBooks bookshelf, and sometimes within the first few pages of the book, depending on how the publisher assembled the e-book. That's a shame. A lot of hardworking people in the art department put a lot of time and effort into designing the front and back covers. When I tap on a book, I should have the option of seeing its cover full screen, as if the book were closed. I should also be able to "flip" the book over and read its back cover. And no, of course you can't judge a book by its cover, but its still nice to be able to see the the covers as you would if you were holding an actual book.
Those are my suggestions. I'd love to hear what other bibliophiles would love to see in future version of the iBooks app. Leave your suggestions in the comments!
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It's no secret that I love traditional paper books, and I think e-books have a long way to go before they can even begin to compete...
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Make font, font size, sepia setting etc, etc be on a PER BOOK basis! I'm sick of setting these to make them suitable for a particular book, then having to change them all when I switch to a different book.
April 21 2011 at 8:56 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply1) lifelike paper: Hmm. Ok.
2) page edges: Meh. Numbers are easier to read. But ok.
3) pdf like books: Surprise, PDFs aren't e-books. PDFs have page layouts, they don't reflow. That's how the format works. Personally, I want the PDF viewer to simply scroll vertically like the PDF viewer on your Mac works. That way you don't have to fiddle with zoom levels each time you flip a page.
4) PDF selections: Surprise, PDFs still aren't e-books. Sometimes text in a PDF isn't even text, but an image of text.
5) covers: Meh. Up to the publisher anyway.
I'm pretty surprised iBooks doesn't have many of these already. Especially the "design" oriented points above. Things like the paper stock background, and accurate page turning feedback on the edges. These things just seem so "Apple" to begin with.
April 08 2011 at 7:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyThe feature I'd like is a button in the top menu for toggling airplane mode.
April 08 2011 at 5:36 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyin... iBooks? I'm glad you're not working on design!
April 12 2011 at 3:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHow about being able to copy text out of the DRM books. I find that as I read and find certain excerpts I would like to email or save in another document! Yes, you can do this on free books already; however, once you purchase an ebook that option is removed!
April 08 2011 at 3:14 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt is removed because the publishers require it. If you can copy out one word what is to stop you from copying all of them.
April 10 2011 at 12:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyPerhaps they never should have allowed tape decks to record from CD's because what would stop people copying entire music tracks. Or DVD burners for that matter it could collapse the music and entertainment industry.
There are other readers that allow copy and paste....it's not unheard of!
If your worried about people illegally distributing an ebook I would hate to break it to you but preventing copy and paste won't stop that from happening.
Oh My Goodness! You want front and back cover-views on your iBooks? WHAT could be easier?! On absolutely ALL iBooks published by A.V. Harrison Publishing I insert a jpeg of the front cover *into* the read - most iBook authors do now.
How simple to insert/embed both the front AND back...thank you for such a "Smart Cookie" idea.
Emily Hill
"All Smart Cookies Can Self Publishing" and A.V. Harrison Publishing
I've been reading ebooks since 1999 (baen.com).
Starting with various Palm devices + Mobipocket.
Ebook readers were a must for me to get iPhone 1. I used Tomes / Bookshelf (iphonebookshelf.com) and jailbroken, and bought the $10 app on my iPhone before iBooks came out.
I have to agree with showing covers... after all, I begged until it was added to Tomes/Bookshelf. Splash the cover as often as possible... otherwise I forget who/what I'm reading.
But I've switched to iBooks... I like the iTunes syncing vs. running shelfserver, I like that it syncs my place between my iphone and ipad.
Backgrounds are easy enough to implement, but 99.99% of them make it harder to read than white (I set up triple Home button to switch to white on black).
Page edges to scale are just a waste of readable space... I'm used to the progress bar at the bottom (after 12 years), but I'm fine with a toggle option for the comfort of new to ebook readers.
I live in a region without constant bright sunlight. Sunlight is celebrated with outdoor activities, rainy/snowy days are celebrated with indoor reading. Partly cloudy is the rule of thumb, backlights are a must. YMMV.
Adding to the wishlist... I wish when I delete a book from the iPad, that it would uncheck the book in iTunes (sync only checked items option). Back to the cover splash... I have books I finished on the iPhone or iPad and deleted that are still on the other device.
Hey, Michael. You've got some really interesting ideas, with a definite yearning-for-the-old feel. I think Apple's vision is more the future so they'd be opposed to backwards steps, but I, personally, am drawn to your suggestion of paper-like backgrounds. It seems like some people scoffed at that, but after I get off an 8-hour shift of reading on the white screen at night, I can certainly appreciate a change in scenery.
April 08 2011 at 1:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI dissagree that the pages are white... it may be semantical but i dont think they are white, i was just reading and thinking "gosh its so nice that these pages aren't white".
But i do agree that they could be more lifelike. And the rest of your suggestions are pretty great.
I just can't read physical books anymore. It annoys me no end when I can't get something digitally.
Of your suggestions, the only ones I actually care about are the page edges (which are no big deal—tap the screen and you get a progress meter, including page counts to the end of the chapter and the end of the book) and the cover views (which would be nice, but the publishers would really have to improve the quality control on their products before it would be much use.
There are so many great PDF readers for iOS that I just don't see the point in improving PDF support in iBooks.
Here's my list for improving iBooks:
1. Ditch the DRM. The quality control of ebooks is abysmal. Please, for the love of God, let me correct typos and crap formatting errors.
Here's my list for improving physical books:
1. Become weightless and volumeless so I can carry thousands.
2. Remember where I left off without needing an optional accessory.
3. Allow me to scale the font size to my preference.
4. Allow me to search the full text, not just whatever's in the index.
5. Be backlit so I don't need a book light.
6. Allow me to make non-destructive, removable notes and marks.
I am a book person. I bought a house with an extra room just so I could have a library. I think cracking the spine is a character flaw on par with cruelty to animals. Adults who say they don't read might as well tell me they still believe in Santa Claus. And yet I'm finding I don't miss a single thing about physical books. Sometimes, you have to just be ready to ditch all the charming cruft of the old way of doing things because the new way is just plain *better*.
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TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
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