Disappointment with iBooks 1.1 PDF support

If anyone has figured out a better way to get PDFs into iBooks, please share it.

Why not simply use the content management application (i.e., iTunes). Just "Drag 'n Drop" all your PDFs directly to iTunes all at once and then sync them to iBooks in a single "sync" operation?

Why not simply have "save in ibooks" as an option in Safari when the source is a pdf? You see, I like great products that are simple to use, not content management applications.

Sync with iTunes?

Why not simply have "save in ibooks" as an option in Safari when the source is a pdf?

To each his or her own. I prefer as centralized application for the management of the database, storage, metadata, cover art, etc. If you prefer to moved the data directly to iBooks and then sync iBooks to iTunes to make such modifications and then re-sync the changes back to iBooks then that is, of course, your choice.

Um, because sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious to those like me who are thinking too much?

Sorry. I tend to assume everyone uses applications like Calibre or iTunes for centralized management of content rather than using multiple applications having parallel operations which often require multiple steps to accomplish the same ends. Use whatever approach best suits your work flow or with which you are most comfortable. I'm simply lazy and prefer doing everything in one place.

Yes, this is how you get your PDFs into iBooks. Thanks!

I make my own content (what I refer to as "self publishing") from free public domain content available on the internet which I would probably never buy on my own if I had to pay for it. So for me, it was quite natural to simply adapt my current ePUB making work flow include the new PDF capabilities now included in both Itunes and iBooks.

However, being able to get the PDFs from Safari would be a nice feature, hopefully a future version.

You can always request it be added as a future Safari enhancement (i.e. use the feedback form). If enough people request it, it will likely be included in a future update of the mobile Safari app.

I'm with you Joe. Most of my pdfs won't open in Mail on the iPad so there is no way to get them from Mail to iBooks on the iPad. Dragging them to the Books Library was not so intuitive to me either. Why isn't iBooks under the app tab like the other pdf reader apps?

Anyone figured out how to do highlighting?

Ok got 1.1 and I have 128 PDFs I imported into Itunes 9.2 and when I hit sync it looks like its sending them to the ipad, but it is NOT showing up in the Ipads Ibooks 1.1 that updated today. I think its bugged, anyone else having issues?

lileoj, two questions.

First, do you have it to sync automatically? I don't, so I had to dorp and drop from my iTunes Books library to the iPad.

Second, did you click on the 'PDFs' on the top left corner of the iBooks app to access the PDFs? The PDFs won't mix with the books, instead, the have their own bookshelf...

First it was automatically, selected to sync all books, that didn't work so I tried each individual one. I did one PDF and it showed the PDF button. I do them all and the button disappears. I think Ibooks is bugged. Lame Apple, you didn't do your homework for once.

I couldn't figure out how To get PDFs to iBooks until I after read all of your posts. I opened iTunes, went to my desktop where I had my PDFs, highlighted and dragged them into the books area of iTunes - THEN I connected the iPad and everything synced just fine. Thanks for all the ideas, I was really getting p....d until I tried the suggestions here.

No problem here, although I think the whole process is a tad slow.

I did find I had to look at recently added in iTunes first before it showed up in Books, and remember there is a separate choice of books and pdf's in iBooks.

I'm a bit disappointed in this as well. I would really like a way to download PDF's in Safari, into iBooks, directly on the iPad.

And based on this document from Apple, ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4227) it sure seems as if it would be possible.

Quoting:
"With iBooks 1.1 and iTunes 9.2 or later, you have the ability to view and sync PDFs right to your device. You can even view PDF e-mail attachments or PDFs from Safari, all within iBooks."

Notice it say Safari right in there. But in the "how to section" of the doc, it doesn't ever explain how to do it.

Doesn't seem possible at this point.

doh !, just twigged, drag the pdf to the device iphone or ipoad and done.. via iTunes but that is NOT what the instructions say... hehe only via MAIL..
not so bad now..

I just checked this on the iPhone, and on that, the open in iBooks button is in Safari. But that doesn't help on the iPad though. Maybe we just need to wait until 4.0 drops on the ipad.