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Every Single Problem with iBooks for Mac

Hello,


It is disappointing that as Apple users we are used to doing things a certain way for years, and Apple's way forward results in less functionality and flexibility.


Here is a list of all the problems I have been facing with iBooks for Mac:


1. Transfer of Books to iPad or iPhone from iBooks is non-existant. If I create or download a DRM-free epub and or PDF and add it to iBooks for Mac (i.e. it wasn't downloaded from the iBooks Store), there is no direct way to transfer them to your iOS device through iBooks. Even books downloaded from the iBooks Store, since iBooks itself doesn't allow the transfer of files to the iOS device.


2. iBooks doesn't allow us to Edit metadata. Many PDFs come without metadata. And to organize them into the library as was previously possible in iTunes, we could add Author, Genre, Year, etc... Also even for books we actually download from the iBooks Store maybe we want to change the Genre or Category the book is in or simplify the Author's name.


3. iBooks essentially duplicates any PDF or ePub we drag to it into it's own library. Acting like iTunes "Copy files to iTunes Media Library when adding to library". If I have hundreds of PDF's that are hundreds of Megabytes in size, I don't want them duplicated again, especially when it's duplicated on my default Macintosh HD whom many people have as SSDs nowadays.


4. iBooks doesn't allow us to create or choose multiple libraries and have them in any destination we want (like it is possible with iTunes, iPhoto, Aperture, etc). By Option-Clicking on iBooks we should have that option.


5. The ability to delete Collections in iBooks for Mac.


All the above problems are surprising, as what essentially Apple has done is a book reader, and not a book library management tool. With books becoming more and more digital and more and more people using them, so does the amount of books in one's collection grow. It is virtually impossible to manage any book collection with such a lack of features.


Should anyone have solutions to the aformentioned problems or ideas on how to overcome them, please feel free to post them here.


Should anyone have other problems they encountered in this initial version of iBooks, please feel free to post them here, as this would be a good place to sythesize all that's bothering a lot of people with this new phase into Apple's ecosystem of iBooks.


Thank you,


Nick

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 3:24 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 4:01 AM

@bookarts


exactly the same for me. This is the worst ever released application from Apple IMHO.


All my well kept and organised books and pdf's are now in disorder. Lost their categorie settings, their author setting and on top of all can't be edited in iBooks anymore and any further. No chance to edit wrong typings and to fill missing information (eg. authors, categories, ...).


I used to organise my papers (mostly PDF's) in iTunes like a document manager, the way I needed them on my various iOS devices and used them for work. I had groupings for my books like computing - networks, computing - guides, computing - iOS, computing - scripting, etc. .... now all is gone and lost. How am I supposed to organise over 1300 papers without any editing possibility (only sections can be assigned, no categories can be, neither can any information be edited/changed/corrected?


And on top of that all: HOW DO I BACKUP / RESTORE MY BOOKS from now on?


The books and PDF's are moved from the iTunes Library, where they were accessible and editable and where I could backup my whole media library on external NAS and storage. How will I get back my books/PDFs in the future if I setup my Mac Pro again from scratch or in case of a disaster (eg. failing disk)? Am I forced to use TimeMachine here?


There is no way to define by myselfs the place where the iBooks are stored on my system. No, they are all moved to some well hidden place into the users-library filling up my (until iBooks/Mavericks) system only SSD hard drive with hidden books. Is this the new strategy of Apple to try to make me under-age?


No editing, very limited organizing, no possibilty to define it's own storage-location, no backup/restore (no export/archive like in most other application like calender, addressbook, mail, etc. ....) what the **** is that?


I like most of Mavericks new additions but this here with iBooks is a mess and complete drawback for a user that liked to read his books on his iOS devices and was well organized.


And to be honest, I seriously consider to migrate back to OS X Mountain Lion just because of this ridiculous implementation of iBooks!

145 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Oct 24, 2013 4:01 AM in response to Nicolas Online

@bookarts


exactly the same for me. This is the worst ever released application from Apple IMHO.


All my well kept and organised books and pdf's are now in disorder. Lost their categorie settings, their author setting and on top of all can't be edited in iBooks anymore and any further. No chance to edit wrong typings and to fill missing information (eg. authors, categories, ...).


I used to organise my papers (mostly PDF's) in iTunes like a document manager, the way I needed them on my various iOS devices and used them for work. I had groupings for my books like computing - networks, computing - guides, computing - iOS, computing - scripting, etc. .... now all is gone and lost. How am I supposed to organise over 1300 papers without any editing possibility (only sections can be assigned, no categories can be, neither can any information be edited/changed/corrected?


And on top of that all: HOW DO I BACKUP / RESTORE MY BOOKS from now on?


The books and PDF's are moved from the iTunes Library, where they were accessible and editable and where I could backup my whole media library on external NAS and storage. How will I get back my books/PDFs in the future if I setup my Mac Pro again from scratch or in case of a disaster (eg. failing disk)? Am I forced to use TimeMachine here?


There is no way to define by myselfs the place where the iBooks are stored on my system. No, they are all moved to some well hidden place into the users-library filling up my (until iBooks/Mavericks) system only SSD hard drive with hidden books. Is this the new strategy of Apple to try to make me under-age?


No editing, very limited organizing, no possibilty to define it's own storage-location, no backup/restore (no export/archive like in most other application like calender, addressbook, mail, etc. ....) what the **** is that?


I like most of Mavericks new additions but this here with iBooks is a mess and complete drawback for a user that liked to read his books on his iOS devices and was well organized.


And to be honest, I seriously consider to migrate back to OS X Mountain Lion just because of this ridiculous implementation of iBooks!

Oct 24, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Nicolas Online

Ok I think I found a small answer to problem number 1.


Let's say you have all your books in iBooks. When you connect your iOS device in iTunes and go over to its sync tab in iTunes, there is "Books" tab at the top next to "Music" "Apps" etc.


When you click on the Books tab in your iOS device screen on iTunes, it will show you all the books that are currently in iBooks. And you can select to sync all books, certain books, etc... as if they were in iTunes before.


This only answers to my first issue.


Thanks,


Nick

Oct 24, 2013 11:43 AM in response to Andy Epprecht

I kept my iTunes folder on an external drive and I noticed that all of my Books are still in its folder on that drive. I can re-add books from the Itunes Media > Books folder back into iBooks.


Like Nicolas said, you can then go to your iPad in iTunes and check books you want to synch. A lot of hassle, IMHO.


Please send feedback to Apple about this mess:


iBooks menu > Provide iBooks Feedback

Oct 24, 2013 2:56 PM in response to Andy Epprecht

All the books are now under this path:


~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBooks/Books


But now they're renamed with an ID, so it's hard to tell which book it is.


I too, am so upset with this half baked Mavericks and iBooks Apple calls themselves releasing. It's like they hate metadata. They already prevent us from editing any of our metadata on iOS, let alone viewing it!


<Edited by Host>

Oct 24, 2013 6:05 PM in response to MsQueenn

MsQueenn wrote:


All the books are now under this path:


~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBooks/Books


But now they're renamed with an ID, so it's hard to tell which book it is.


I too, am so upset with this half baked Mavericks and iBooks Apple calls themselves releasing. It's like they hate metadata. They already prevent us from editing any of our metadata on iOS, let alone viewing it!


<Edited by Host>

That can't be right. My Books folder in this location is only 394.1 MB -

~/Library/Containers/com.apple.BKAgentService/Data/Documents/iBooks/Books


My Books folder previously stored in my iTunes media folder on my External HD is 16.56 GB.


So either the new location is only placeholders pointing to iCloud, or there are a whole lot of books missing.

Oct 24, 2013 7:53 PM in response to Nicolas Online

Ok So I have figured out some kind of workaround to get my books onto my Ipad with a minimum of fuss. It took an hour to add 3 books, but I think I can do this without getting my blood pressure up too high next time.


Just to be clear I am NOT happy with Mavericks, but I've upgraded and I think I can make it work without downgrading.


I am on a MacBook Pro and use Calibre to manage all of my ebooks and metadata.


I did the following things


In Finder

Created a new favorite folder called "iPad books" This folder is located on my desktop and on the sidebar in Finder


In Calibre

  1. import the books
  2. update the metadata and save
  3. At the top under the Connect/Share icon, there is an option to connect to a folder.
  4. Connected Calibre to the "iPad Books" Folder
  5. Sent the books I wanted to add to my iPad to that folder


In IBooks

Imported the books from the "iPad Books" folder


In ITunes

synced my iPad and the books were added.


Afterwards, I deleted the copies of the epub files from the "iPad Books" folder so I didn't re-import into iBooks next time


Before I figured this out, I tried to send the books directly to the new iBooks folder hidden deep in the Library. It didn't work and my books didn't show up in iBooks. Calibre showed they were "On the device" but they weren't there.


The only way to add them is to import them into iBooks.

Oct 24, 2013 11:04 PM in response to Nicolas Online

How about the most basic problem: It simply doesn't work! There are many of us with this same problem. When you double-click on a book it opens for a flash, and then disappears along with your library. Quitting and restarting does not restore it. You have to use the Window menu to view Library, and you use Zoom to creat a miniature (but re-sizeable) window with the book in it. This is ludicrous! I've never seen such rink-****, amateur programming from Apple. For me, this is a far bigger fiasco than Apple Maps was. 😟

Every Single Problem with iBooks for Mac

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