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iPhoto Book Tackles Version Issues

Posted by pudge on from the because-waiting-sucks dept.

Fubar writes "Longtime TidBITS publisher Adam C. Engst recently wrote a book about Apple's iPhoto software. Faced with the standard publishing-to-market delays that would only leave a month or so before the next version of iPhoto is released, Engst worked out a deal with Amazon that folks can download the book for $13 now, and receive a free dead-tree version once the book is updated to reflect the changes in the new version of iPhoto. This is the first 'book upgrade' I've ever heard of."

18 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. first book upgrade? by chongo · · Score: 4, Interesting
    ''This is the first 'book upgrade' I've ever heard of.''

    Back in the days when computer documentation was only sent out in dead tree form, those loose-leaf books/binders were upgrade/updatable. CDC manuals, back in the 1970's, came with a free update service that continued well into the late 1980's.

    --
    chongo (was here) /\oo/\
  2. apple is going to be pissed by Juanvaldes · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Amazon and this write let it slip that a new version of iPhoto is coming out at MWNY.

  3. When I buy any dead-tree book... by SIGFPE · · Score: 2

    ...I feel I ought to get an electronic version with it for free. After all I'm effectively buying a license when I buy a book aren't I?

    --
    -- SIGFPE
    1. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by foobar104 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      After all I'm effectively buying a license when I buy a book aren't I?

      Hm. That's kind of like saying you're entitled to the book-on-tape when you buy the printed book. Which is nuts.

      When you're buying a book, you're buying... a book.

      Then again, this may be the best object lesson I've ever heard in the absurdity of buying and selling licenses.

    2. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by Zarquon · · Score: 2

      Not exactly.. a modern dead tree book is a derivative of an electronic manuscript. A book-on-tape is (usually) a pared-down version of the original electronic manuscript, with the expensive addition of voice actors. Adding a pdf on a CD adds a neglible cost to most high-margin books (tech, howtos, etc.) Adding it to MM paperbacks is a different matter (and arguably not as useful for say most paper-back fiction, barring Robert Jordan and similar wordy authors).

      --
      "'Tis great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his." --Poor Richard's Almanac
    3. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by foobar104 · · Score: 2

      Not exactly.. a modern dead tree book is a derivative of an electronic manuscript.

      You can draw all the distinctions you want. It doesn't change the fact that a book is a physical object, and when you buy one, all you're entitled to by virtue of that transaction is the object itself.

      I have no problem at all with publishers selling electronic copies of books separately, or not at all. To me, it's no different from publishers' selling paperbacks and hardcovers separately. The paper book is one thing, and the electronic copy is another thing. Sell 'em separately.

    4. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by Zarquon · · Score: 2

      Or at least sell them / make them available at all. And preferably in some format that is speech synthesizer compatible. Even better, one that is in an open format.

      --
      "'Tis great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his." --Poor Richard's Almanac
    5. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by Lars+T. · · Score: 2

      According to some intelectual property oponents, people only buy books because of the book, not because of the content.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    6. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 2

      But you are entitled to the ability to media-shift said book on your own. Just like you can copy a CD to a tape legally (for your own use blah blah blah) you can copy a book.

      It's virtually the same thing. Artist (writer) creates content, label (publisher) puts it out there in the world. Usually, the publisher has all the important rights - just like the music industry.

      This does bring up the issue of software copying, though. Software is created by a group of artists and published by a large company that retains the rights to the intellectual property. If it weren't for EULAs, you would have every right to copy software just like you can with music, books, and other IP.

      --
      ± 29 dB
    7. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by SIGFPE · · Score: 2

      OK. When I buy a dead-tree book I want to get an electronic version too. It'd make me more likely to buy the book at little cost to the publisher. We'd both benefit.

      --
      -- SIGFPE
    8. Re:When I buy any dead-tree book... by Suppafly · · Score: 2

      But you are entitled to the ability to media-shift said book on your own. Just like you can copy a CD to a tape legally (for your own use blah blah blah) you can copy a book.

      Yes, but they aren't entitled to give you a pdf of the book.. if you want to media shift, break out a scanner and media shift from a deadtree to a pdf.

  4. The Macintosh Bible by ilbrec · · Score: 2, Informative

    I remember back in old days, when you could only get "dead tree" version of computer books, Macintosh Bible had offer for updating the book as new material came out. The last page of the book had a postcard that you could send, and they say that they would periodically send out the sections of updated items/chapters or something like that. Unfortunately, I don't have the book any more to verify it for you...

  5. What iPhoto upgrade is this? by johnpg · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Not that we weren't expecting one eventually, but to my knowledge Apple has made no mention of any iPhoto updates. I would imagine that the author has some knowledge that us mere mortals do not. iPhoto is one iApp that could use a good update.

    1. Re:What iPhoto upgrade is this? by frankie · · Score: 3, Funny

      no mention of any iPhoto updates

      You have an impressively bad sense of timing, johnpg.

  6. Re:Wait a minute... by adrew · · Score: 2, Informative

    I bought Toast 5 Titanium and it came with a nifty program called iView Multimedia. Basically it is iPhone on steroids and allows you control everything, whereas iPhoto goes the idiot-proof route.

    Try iView. It really is better, and there is an OS X native version available now.

  7. O'Reilly by mjpaci · · Score: 3, Informative

    O'Reilly will give you 30% off the next edition of a book. All you have to do is send in the title page of the old book.

    --Mike

  8. Apple is NOT going to be pissed by mjpaci · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the article:
    Despite that, the printing and distribution time meant that if I finished the book in early March, it wouldn't appear in bookstores or on the Web until the middle of April. Normally that delay is merely a little frustrating. However, a book needs a shelf life of about six months to recoup the costs of printing and distribution, not to mention the author's royalties and the publisher's overhead. While writing about iPhoto and seeing the discussions taking place about it online, it became blindingly obvious that Apple was likely to update iPhoto soon, with a July release at Macworld Expo in New York being the latest we could imagine, leaving only a few months of shelf life. Apple wasn't talking, but the financial risk of printing thousands of copies of the book was just too great for Peachpit to justify going ahead with the printing when I finished writing in early March. From my point of view, even though the risk was primarily Peachpit's, I couldn't stomach the thought of recycling thousands of copies of the book because of poor timing. But at the same time, I had a completed book on my hands, and since iPhoto had been downloaded over one million times in two months, I figured there were plenty of people who could use the book right away.

    --Mike

  9. Bookpool by mttlg · · Score: 2
    O'Reilly [oreilly.com] will give you 30% off the next edition of a book. All you have to do is send in the title page of the old book.

    Bookpool will give you between 30% and 40% off almost all O'Reilly books, no defacing required.