Apple rumoured to be holding iBooks related media event

Apple is expected to hold an iBooks related media event this month. Photo: Apple
Apple are expected to hold an iBooks related media event in New York City, home to the US’s biggest publishers, later this month.

Reports suggest the event is not connected to the expected launch of the new iPad 3 or any other hardware.

Available for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, the iBookstore has so far failed to replicate the success of Apple’s iTunes and App Stores.

Consumers have complained that rival stores such as Amazon’s Kindle offer a greater range of titles and features.

In December Apple finally updated the iBooks app to include a night-reading mode but still lacks a rival to Amazon’s book lending scheme.

In addition, the service is still restricted to devices running Apple’s mobile operating system iOS, while rivals Kobo and Kindle offer apps for a range of platforms as well as the ability to read on desktop and laptop computers.

Likewise, Apple’s magazine and newspaper service Newsstand lags behind the multi-platform Zinio which allows titles to be read on computers as well as mobile devices.

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