[NTLK] Updates

[Ryan]

Programming software and creating documents to be read by others are  
quite different. Im not asking Apple for an SDK, I just want a tool to  
create feature rich books and magazines for the iPad that others can  
enjoy. All this is is a new era of desktop publishing... modern word  
processing. That is, we are now not just creating documents for people  
to read on desktops and laptops, but on tablet computers with multi- 
touch. These new devices demand new kinds of word processing.

With the Newton Apple gave consumers the software to create Newton  
optimized books so they could easily get their content on the device.  
There was no programming required.

Let's also look at Amazon. They make it easy for authors to self  
publish and sell books on their online marketplace place. That  
includes things like cover design and online file conversion, etc.

Since Apple is in competition with Amazon for eBooks; since self- 
publishing has exploded; since Apple is a consumer company... it makes  
sense that they would give consumers a tool to publish rich content  
for the iPad/iBooks Store.

They have already been supporting consumers in a similar regard with  
iWeb and Pages. This would then make sense:

Add a Pages export format for the iPad. So you create your document in  
Pages, complete with text, images, and video and it exports to a  
format that works with the iPad's Book Reader application. Adobe  
follows suit with InDesign.

Now, with Apple's existing infrastrucure for iPhone app approvals,  
they could approve all self published books as well. Give the author/ 
publisher 70% and they take 30% of the sale price.

But... it's not just about selling eBooks for the iPad. Creating  
documents for the iPad is great for things like internal business  
reports, letters, school essays, etc. Stuff not being shared with most  
of the outside world.

So what this is is a new era of desktop publishing/word processing  
that gives people the opportunity to create more engaging documents,  
books, magazines, etc.

I have a *feeling* that either an iWork update or the next release of  
iWork will have iPad publisher tools built in. Right now, the  
publishing industry is up in arms because there is no 1 tool to create  
feature rich content for the iPad. As the rep for Penguins Books  
recently said, right now it is trial and error. They are actually  
using HTML piggy backed onto an iPhone/iPad app to get their content  
in these devices. That sounds very hackish, but they don't have a  
choice.

And the reason it's so hard to develop said content is because these  
devices do not support flash. I like that, but right now it's hard to  
create content without flash.

I heard Adobe may be coming out with a publisher tool for all this but  
I feel Apple would be doing consumers a disservice if they made us  
rely on more complex, commercial software like Adobe's products.

Keynote is also a candidate for iPad development. You could create  
very feature rich content with it for the iPad with its smart builds,  
etc. But we aren't after presentations, and the iPad already supports  
native Keynote documents... we are after more text based stuff like  
books and magazines. That's why I think Apple should keep it in Pages  
and sort of integrate some of the presentation tools found in Keynote.

Maybe this would usher in the amalgamation of presentation software  
with word processing software.

Ryan