Apple has updated the iTunes store on the server level, allowing anyone with iTunes version 10.2 or better to now access the iBookstore on iTunes for the Mac! This will no doubt make it easier for authors and publishers to share links to the books they have posted in iTunes.
Another great feature of this is that iDevice users can now download iBooks on their Mac, and wirelessly send them to their iOS devices through in-device settings on your iDevice. To enable this, go in to the settings in iOS, click the “store” tab, and now, in addition to seeing which account you have linked to the device, you can also turn on auto-syncing of music, apps, or books you download from the iTunes store. This spits in the face of Amazon and their “Whispersync” technology, essentially finally bringing the same functionality to the iPhone and iPad.
In the iBookstore on iTunes, you can browse Staff Favorites, add items to your Wish List, check out the “Best of the month” and “popular pre-orders”. Everything seen on the iBookstore for iOS has been ported to a new section in the iTunes Store for desktop computers, which doesn’t require an iTunes update. With the new “Automatic Downloads” functionality that went live earlier today, you’ll be able to buy a book on your computer and instantly see it available on your iPhone or iPad with a download happening in the background.
Now, the only question I still have is: Where on earth is the desktop version of iBooks, and why can’t I read my ebooks in iTunes? I suppose if Apple had announced this on top of all the great stuff from yesterday, my head probably would have exploded.