iBookstore SDK Is Needed To Shake Up The eBook Market For Apple To Win

I know that Apple has made it easy to design, code, and publish apps for the iOS devices.  Three hundred thousand apps and likely five hundred thousand apps by the middle of 2011 is a testament to how Apple can really shine when it wants to.

However, outside of iTunes and the App Store, Apple's effort into other media has been met with mediocre success as with TV and movies.  And it has so far floundered with ebooks.  What should Apple do?

How about an iBookstore SDK?

iPhone 4: Digging the RETINA DISPLAY; When Will It Show Up On MacBooks and iPads; Storage Implications

All everyone has been talking about is the FaceTime feature and the sexy new look of the iPhone. So, let's talk about the new display.

• 960X640
• Officially called by Apple as the "Retina Display"
• 4X the pixels in the same 3.5" screen.
• 4X the contrast
• 326 pixels per inches, make it virtually difficult for the human eye to see from 18 inches away.  It's about the right range when one holds the iPhone from one's face.
• IPS - same technology as in the iPad:  in-plain switching
• More durable, scratch-resistant glass - used in helicopters and high-speed train
• Finger-print resistant - sort of

There are other technical details that we don't need to bother ourselves with other than that it's just absolutely gorgeous.  

However, in the last week, there have been back and forth debate about the quality the Retina Display and whether Steve Jobs' claim at 326dpi is higher than the 300dpi is more of his reality distortion field. Does that matter?

It's competition.  For a while, some devices on the market like the Droid has a higher resolution and now, it's been eclipsed by the iPhone 4.  At this point, it doesn't matter much anymore.  Our human eyes, at this stage of evolution, will not be able to tell the different should there be a resolution war.

I can't wait to get my hands on it.  However, not necessarily on the iPhone.  I want to see it on the iPad as well as the Touches.  And hopefully, we'll see this come to the displays as well.  Maybe even the Macbook.

eBooks And Print. Taken together, the iOS, advancements in hardware like Retina Display, could be just what the print and book industry needs to save it.  the iBooks already look very nice on the iPad.  I think this will help sell even more books over time.  Apple has already sold (or just downloaded) 5 million books on the iPad.  More books and magazines will be sold by Apple once iBooks start showing up on iPhones.

I imagine we are likely to see this technology on the iPad before the Macbook or displays.  Armed with Retina Display technology, it will enable the iPad to display even more impressive text and graphics for books and magazines.  

A word about video.  Because of the higher resolution, it also means the iPhones can display video at a higher quality. Higher quality and resolution also mean bigger files.  That's something you'll want to think about if you like carry a library of movies with you on the go.

We're less than 48 hours from being able to pre-order the iPhone 4.  So if FaceTime or any of the other new features doesn't entice you to considering getting the iPhone 4, take another look at the display.

More iPhone App Chats And Comic Books

On On Apple, I think I'll start spending more time talking about apps that I find useful.  There are any number of sites that already do that but I have to wonder if they spend a few hours on each app, write up a quick review, and move on to the next one.

I'm gonna start talking about actual experiences.  Free apps we can use and delete and move on if we don't like it.  With apps we buy, it's a bit more involved since it require us to make a purchase.  

For instance, I bought some comic books from Panelfly and Comics from the in app stores since I'm a big Marvel fan.  Two separate stores but I want to see how the experience is like.  I've read ebooks on my iPhone but never comic books in depth.

So, when I find time this weekend to read the comic books, I'll get into some more.

Stay tuned!

Review: Wattpad ebook reader

We're starting to generate some reviews and app analysis. But I'm focusing more on creative contents, ebooks, and games.

The first one I'm reviewing is Wattpad, an ebook file sharing site, that has created an iPhone app for iPhone and iPod users to gain access to its library.

I use Wattpad along with eReader, Stanza, and the Kindle app daily but I especially like the free material that is being shared for readers.

More Wattpad review at Mobile Goodness

Can Apple Make America Read Again?

It's been widely known that when approached about ebooks, Jobs said Americans just don't read anymore. I initially took offense to that until I realized there might be some truth to that.

I don't know if reading is now an elitist thing to do but I was at Borders last night and I did see a good crowd there.  I was at a different book store last week and I saw quite a line at the checkout counter.  So I think it isn't that folks aren't ready anymore.

The truth is, people aren't reading ebooks.  Ebooks have been around for quite some years now.  And digital growth for books are not growing as fast as other media like music.

Can Apple Make America Read Again?  Maybe.  According to Forbes, Apple may have overtaken Kindle with respect to the number of folks using iPhones to read ebooks.  I encourage heading over to look at it a bit.

I don't like the flippant use of download numbers to suggest that more folks are using iPhone to read books than Kindle, the fact that folks have downloaded about 400,000 copies of Stanza is pretty significant.  I can tell you I've downloaded Stanza myself but I use mainly eReader because I have been able to buy books on it when I used my Palm Zire 72 as my reader.

I look forward to see Stanza's sales figure once they have lined up publishers for sales.  Right now, books from Stanza are free.  In fact, I also look forward to eReader download figures and sales figures from iPhone owners.

So, how is iPhone, with a smaller screen and not meant as an ereader gaining such a big follow?  The iPhone is a mobile device.  Not an ereader.  That is why.  With the iPhone, there is no need for people to carry a separate device just to read books.  Not to mention that with the iPhone or future devices like it, downloading an app is far cheaper than buying a dedicated reader.

The Kindle costs $360.  With a medium cost of $9.99 for top sellers, you would have to buy 36 books before breaking even.

Source:  Forbes