In the past, I’ve been tempted by Kindle and Nook eBook readers, but never enough to pull the trigger and buy one. They seemed to be just a small step up from reading a PDF version of a book. Don’t get me wrong, e-ink is very easy on the eyes, but still needing a book light to read at night without disturbing my wife isn’t much of an improvement for me. But the more I read about the features of the iPad iBook, the more I start thinking about the possibilities…
With the iPad you will still have the colorful design of the dust jacket; the author’s stoic image will easily be included. I will miss the smell of a good hard cover and the ability to fan the pages of a paperback. Hopefully, the iBook reader will let you insert a bookmark by turning the corner of the page with a flick of your finger. Fantasy readers could open the map of the world they’re currently lost in with a tap. No more running back and forth trying to figure out where the Tanvis Range is in relation to Mul’trak Swamp.
Think about reading magna or a graphic novel on the iBook. I’d buy a copy of Watchman for my iPad, and frankly, I’d be more willing to take a chance on other releases from this type of medium.
Children’s books would also translate well on the iPad (ignoring the fact of the $500+ piece of high-tech hardware they’d have). The interaction that would be allowed between the child and the iBook could be endless. You can also make coloring books on the iPad and not worry about cleanup or Billy getting the green crayon up his nose again.
Several book publishers have already announced their support for the iPad, along with physical bookstores like Barnes and Nobles. Only time will tell if the iPad can challenge the popularity of the printed book.