‘Collections’, PDF E-Mailing and Printing coming to iBooks
Just yesterday we reported that Steve Jobs informed a customer that better iBooks management would be ‘coming’ and today we got our hands on the details. First of all folders are indeed coming to iBooks for iOS and are similar to the folders on the iOS 4 homescreen.
Context & Ripple Effects
iBooks launched alongside the iPad reveal in January 2010 as both a storefront and a reader, but ten months in its library had no way to organize a growing collection and no way to get documents out of the app. The gap became visible enough that a customer emailed Steve Jobs directly, and Jobs confirmed better management was 'coming' — the day before 9 to 5 Mac obtained details.
First-order effects
- iBooks users get iOS 4-style folders ('Collections') plus the ability to e-mail and print PDFs stored in the app, turning it from a pure book reader into a basic document handler.
Second-order effects
- Dedicated PDF-management utilities on the iPad lose part of their reason to exist for casual users, while rival e-reading apps face pressure to match library organization rather than compete only on store pricing.
Third-order effects
- Apple folding file-handling basics into first-party apps points toward iOS apps absorbing lightweight document workflows before a system-level files layer exists — and shows a single customer email to Jobs functioning as a de facto product roadmap signal.
The trend: E-reading apps are evolving from storefront-and-reader combos into general-purpose library managers as tablets take over both books and documents.