Books on iTunes?

[Retired]

iTunes operates on a PC in my case and is used with my iPod (older model).

While looking at the iTunes store, I noticed they had a couple of free books that I downloaded.

I cannot open them in iTunes. Is there a reader I have to be using, or are the books intended to be viewed using an iPad?

 

[Daniel E.]

or are the books intended to be viewed using an iPad?

or iPhone/iTouch. I haven't heard about anything else.

 

[Daniel E.]

Why iBooks will never come to Mac OS | ZDNet
January 19, 2012

...Apple kept iBooks exclusive to iOS — and I have a bit of bad news: iBooks may never come to Mac OS. [let alone Windows]

iBooks’ iOS exclusivity completely alienates students that drank the Cupertino KoolAid and purchased its more-expensive MacBook Air over the iPad. Students who purchased the MacBook Air have no access to iBooks, iTextbooks or any other content from the iBookstore.

It’s simple economics. Apple makes its money from selling hardware (iPhones, iPads and Macs) and it sells software (apps, music, movies) mostly as a way to move hardware. Apple’s answer to students with MacBook Airs, of course, is to buy an iPad! But that won’t be an option for many cash-strapped students who haven’t joined the workforce yet and rely on Mom and Dad to pick up the tab.

I understand that Apple is a for-profit corporation and that it’s obligated to increase shareholder value, but at what price? Apple will never dominate academic publishing until it makes iBooks (and more importantly its content) available on the Mac.