After Apple's education event today in New York City, many people are still wondering what is iBooks 2? Well if you're one of those people than this explanatory post is what you need to read.
We're very well accustomed with iBooks and the iBookstore. Then what is iBooks 2 exactly? iBooks 2 is basically an update to the original iBooks app. iBooks 2 brings textbooks for students. It will now be possible to download dynamic and interactive textbooks from the iBookstore. Algebra, Biology, Chemistry, Geometry, and Physics texts books from McGraw-Hill and Pearson are currently being offered to US customers only through the iBookstore. Textbooks from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are said to be coming soon.
iBooks 2 app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is described in the App Store as follows:
- Experience gorgeous Multi-Touch textbooks designed for iPad
- iBooks textbooks are filled with interactive features, diagrams, photos, and videos
- Tap to dive into images with interactive captions, rotate 3D objects, swipe through image galleries, watch videos in full screen, and more
- Use a finger as a highlighter when swiping over text in a textbook
- Take advantage of Study Cards to help you memorize important highlights, notes, and glossary terms
- Tap glossary terms to see definitions of key topics and concepts without leaving the page
Apple has also released a Mac App for creating books for iBooks 2. It's called iBooks Author for Mac and is available free of cost from the Mac App Store. It is solely at the creator's discretion if he or she wants to offer their book for free on the iBookstore. However if one charges for a book, in that case a cut will have to be given to Apple. Its akin to apps that are free or need to be bought in the App Store.
So now that you know what is iBooks 2, let's get downloading then? It's absolutely free!
Download iBooks 2 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch from iTunes App Store