image "Ebook files and e-reader software usually exist as separate entities, but Tom Peck of AppEngines merged the two to create individual ebook applications for the iPhone App Store. In the following Q&A, Peck discusses his ebook software development process, consumer response to his apps, and future ebook projects." –O’Reilly TOC blog interview with Peck (via Booktwo.org).

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5 COMMENTS

  1. This reminds me of the single-audiobook mp3 players that are a big hit in airport stores, truck stops, and libraries. They allow the audiobooks to be checked out or sold, listened to, and then passed on without having to fiddle around with how to load your player.

    Clearly, this developer has recognized that sort of convenience and made use of it for his own book-apps. Granted, they’re even more tied to the device than your average DRM’d book, but you do have to admit he has a point about how complicated the other e-book software is.

  2. Must….not….rant….

    It’s a good solution to the problem: How to get content onto a platform that won’t allow file management.

    I have two major issues though.
    1. I pay for the content, and can only read it on one device.
    2. He charges for public domain content. Now, I don’t have a problem compensating him for his time and effort. It takes quite a bit of work to convert a book to a different format and whatnot. But I could either pay for each book, or I could pay once for a reader and read any content I want.

  3. Yoda47: In re point 1, that is why I would personally never buy such a book—or, for that matter, one of those single-book audiobook players. But I can see where other people might want to.

    In re point 2, I don’t see the problem. As you say, he deserves to be paid for his work, and in fact the whole point of having a public domain is that people can build whatever they want around it, including making a profit off of it. If he is able to turn his time and effort on those books into a profit, more power to him. Just because you’re not his target audience doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one.

  4. Talk about the tower of eBabble (not to mention the issue we’ve had in the past of evil people embedding viruses within book files built within an EXE format.

    Let’s stick with our well-known file formats, please. Palm DOC, HTML, PDF (if you absolutely must), LIT, ePub, Mobipocket–give us a reader that reads any of these (especially LIT or Mobipocket since the others are already readable on the iPhone) and you’ll have something worth talking about.

    Rob Preece
    Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

  5. Incidentally, one of these books, A Princess of Mars, can be found for free on the iTunes App store. If you’re interested in seeing what the reader looks like, it’s a no-cost way to try it out.

    I don’t mind admitting I’m impressed with the interface. It’s pure simplicity, and is so far the only e-book reader of any kind I’ve seen on the iT/P platform to use the multi-touch magnification pinch to resize the font.

    Not impressed with it enough to buy one of those books, mind you, but still, impressed.

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