iBooks: What We Know of iPad’s iBook App

The iBook app is the Apple iPad’s way to let users build up their literary knowledge and virtual bookshelf. Only moments ago, Apple announced its new iBooks app—which can be downloaded for free from the App Store—that will allow iPad users to buy any and every book available from the built-in iBookstore. The iBooks app literally allows users to create a virtual bookshelf on the iPad screen and get their read-on. Publishers of the books seem to be quite “thrilled” at Apple’s new eReader-like app. Random House spokesman Stuart Applebaum replied to Galley Cat’s iPad queries with this statement:  “Random House welcomes Apple’s iPad and iBooks app and we look forward to our continuing conversations with them about how we might best work together.”

Steve Jobs dealt out a compliment [whether back-handed or not] or two to Amazon for it’s pioneering in the eReader market–but basically told the online-retailer that we’ll take it from here.  “Amazon’s done a great job of pioneering this functionality with the Kindle, so we’re going to stand on its shoulders,” says Jobs at the product launch.

iBooks works similarly to iTunes—but with books—and the new iPad actually allows some pretty cool with this app. Users can change the book’s font to suit your reading pleasure and iBooks can be used for textbooks, too. To read the book you’ve purchased, all you have to do is tap on its icon and it opens up. Tapping the right side of the page turns one page forward; a tap on the left turns one page back.

Apple explains that once you’ve bought a book, it will be displayed on your Bookshelf. “The high-resolution, LED-backlit screen displays everything in sharp, rich, color, so it’s very easy to read, even in low light,” Apple claims. The iBookstore uses the ePub format—as many have predicted—and prices seem to be ranging from $12.99 to $14.99 so far.

We’ll continually update this post with more info as soon as it comes out and when more hands ons are reported.

Thanks Engadget for the images