IBooks
From MPublishing
(Difference between revisions)
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
** born-digital emphasized | ** born-digital emphasized | ||
* Another useful tool to deliver material (one of many outlets) | * Another useful tool to deliver material (one of many outlets) | ||
| + | * Building an interactive book using widgets would be much quicker than hand-coding it | ||
'''Negatives''' | '''Negatives''' | ||
* stand alone – only on apple platform (what about multiple channels?) | * stand alone – only on apple platform (what about multiple channels?) | ||
| - | |||
* missing review component (to share/review before publishing, various people working on it at the same time) | * missing review component (to share/review before publishing, various people working on it at the same time) | ||
* workflow management | * workflow management | ||
| Line 52: | Line 52: | ||
* broad audience and publishing (ePub3?) | * broad audience and publishing (ePub3?) | ||
* Publishers who want to use javascript, html, 3D, etc. may still need to find outside help | * Publishers who want to use javascript, html, 3D, etc. may still need to find outside help | ||
| - | * Does not allow for versioning | + | * Does not allow for versioning in the app |
| - | * | + | * Apple would have control over content distributed through the iBookstore. |
* copyright and permissions problems | * copyright and permissions problems | ||
| - | * Need Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later or higher to download iBooks Author | + | * Need Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later or higher to download iBooks Author in the supported manner |
| Line 61: | Line 61: | ||
*Fonts are replaced when importing .docx files | *Fonts are replaced when importing .docx files | ||
| + | *Widgets (photo gallery, movie, etc) are intuitive and easy to use | ||
*Can only import pages and .doc files | *Can only import pages and .doc files | ||
*Imports most Word/SPO styles, but doesn't match full functionality. We should look into this more. | *Imports most Word/SPO styles, but doesn't match full functionality. We should look into this more. | ||
| - | *Footnote styles are a problem. They don't import because there is not a matching functionality in the .iba format. | + | *Footnote styles are a problem. They don't import because there is not a matching functionality in the .iba format. The Glossary feature in iBooks Author could replace this functionality for a small number of footnotes, but would be extremely cumbersome for a book with many notes. |
*Exports PDF (with easy to apply security settings), .iba (proprietary format), and plain text. | *Exports PDF (with easy to apply security settings), .iba (proprietary format), and plain text. | ||
| - | *Tables from Word or Excel don't import easily to .iba tables, so data heavy texts would require a lot more work. | + | *Tables from Word or Excel don't import easily to .iba tables, so data heavy texts would require a lot more work. Formatting does not come through. |
*HTML ability deserves more looking into, especially if you can use javascript to do something widgets cannot. | *HTML ability deserves more looking into, especially if you can use javascript to do something widgets cannot. | ||
'''Other Thoughts''' | '''Other Thoughts''' | ||
*Basically Apple's extended and proprietary version of ePub3 and/or HTML5, so .iba projects would make the best sense if distribution through iBook Store is required. | *Basically Apple's extended and proprietary version of ePub3 and/or HTML5, so .iba projects would make the best sense if distribution through iBook Store is required. | ||
| + | *Probably not worth the effort to convert books unless they have lots of interactive content and the audience has access to iPads. | ||
Revision as of 09:40, 14 February 2012
Contents |
iBooks 2 Highlights
- runs on all iOS devices
- built in dictionary
- search/web lookup
- highlighting and saving highlighted material (with any color)
- underlining feature
- able to take notes
- All your notes and highlights automatically appear on study cards. Flip them over and find the definition of a glossary term or the note attached to the highlighted passage.
- bookmarks the page your on automatically
- can download a small sample of a book before purchasing
- also stores PDFs
- swiping/touching options to make chapter and section navigation easy
- pinch and slide to return to Table of Contents
- interactive media, diagrams, 3D images, zoom, etc.
- Can download updates to textbooks, at no additional charge.
iBooks Author Highlights
- free app
- The application includes templates to quickly create books, but users can also drag and drop images and video into the title. To add text, users can drag and drop a Word file, automatically creating sections and headers.
- auto formatting
- no programming experience needed
- Has a built-in tool, Dashcode, for creating widgets.
- templates (customizable) OR create one
- type or drag/drop
- instant text flow
- widgets create interactive elements (keynote, 3D, slideshows, can be web-based so always up to date)
- portrait or landscape views (portrait = more text-based with thumbnails in margin)
- Can export final content to iBooks store, PDF, text
- iBooks Author uses VoiceOver technology to make content accessible to those with vision impairments
Positives/Negatives
Positives
- Goal = dynamic/adaptive learning
- Very helpful as another tool for differentiated education
- Creates a very different pricing model for higher education
- Reinventing the education publishing value-chain
- born-digital emphasized
- Another useful tool to deliver material (one of many outlets)
- Building an interactive book using widgets would be much quicker than hand-coding it
Negatives
- stand alone – only on apple platform (what about multiple channels?)
- missing review component (to share/review before publishing, various people working on it at the same time)
- workflow management
- web only or desktop view? (not practical for everyone to have iPads)
- should have print, desktop, and mobile
- broad audience and publishing (ePub3?)
- Publishers who want to use javascript, html, 3D, etc. may still need to find outside help
- Does not allow for versioning in the app
- Apple would have control over content distributed through the iBookstore.
- copyright and permissions problems
- Need Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later or higher to download iBooks Author in the supported manner
Notes From Test-Drive of iBook Author
- Fonts are replaced when importing .docx files
- Widgets (photo gallery, movie, etc) are intuitive and easy to use
- Can only import pages and .doc files
- Imports most Word/SPO styles, but doesn't match full functionality. We should look into this more.
- Footnote styles are a problem. They don't import because there is not a matching functionality in the .iba format. The Glossary feature in iBooks Author could replace this functionality for a small number of footnotes, but would be extremely cumbersome for a book with many notes.
- Exports PDF (with easy to apply security settings), .iba (proprietary format), and plain text.
- Tables from Word or Excel don't import easily to .iba tables, so data heavy texts would require a lot more work. Formatting does not come through.
- HTML ability deserves more looking into, especially if you can use javascript to do something widgets cannot.
Other Thoughts
- Basically Apple's extended and proprietary version of ePub3 and/or HTML5, so .iba projects would make the best sense if distribution through iBook Store is required.
- Probably not worth the effort to convert books unless they have lots of interactive content and the audience has access to iPads.
Resources
iBooks Author Support
iBooks 2 and Textbooks
Book Publisher FAQ
Adding PDFs to iBooks Library
iBooks 2 Video Overview
