Apple has confirmed that iBooks, its ebook store and reading software, will be available on its laptop and desktop computers later this year.
Earlier this week the company announced a new version of OS X, the operating system which runs its Mac computer range.
Among the new features included in the software is iBooks, which has previously been limited to Apple’s iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
The Mac version of iBooks will include features designed to aide students who might wish to refer to textbooks while studying or working on their essays.
“OS X Mavericks begins a new chapter in the iBooks story. Now the books you’ve already downloaded on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch will automatically appear in iBooks on your Mac.
“And there are over 1.8 million more in the iBooks Store, ready for you to download with just a few clicks.1 Reading books is every bit as intuitive as it is on an iOS device — turn pages with a swipe, zoom in on images with a pinch, or scroll from cover to cover. If you’re a student hitting the books, keep as many open as you like and search through them with ease.
“When you quote an excerpt while writing a paper, iBooks adds a citation for you. And when you take notes, highlight passages, or add a bookmark on your Mac, iCloud pushes them to all your devices automatically.
“That way you have them on whichever one you take to class. iCloud even remembers which page you’re on. So if you start reading on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, you can pick up right where you left off on your Mac.2