As usual, my timing is impeccable.
A week or so after I did my iPad PDF Reading Roundup article, Apple has announced changes to its built in iBooks application for the iPad.
Later in June, (I assume around the time that iOS 4.0 drops), the iPad will receive an update that will add PDF-reading capability to iBooks, the electronic book reading app that ships with every iPad.
If you can make it out in this Engadget photo, there is now a “PDFs” button up at the top. If you tap it, it will display your PDFs in the faux-70s bookshelf display that iPad owners know and love.
In another big announcement, Apple is releasing iBooks for the iPhone.
Presumably the PDF functionality is going to be similar to the book one where you can sync the documents between your computer, your iPad, and your iPhone, and it will remember where you left off.
It remains to be seen how the PDF-reading experience in iBooks will compare to the dedicated PDF readers out there. Unless someone here talks me out of it, I may have to pick an iPad up to report firsthand (in the name of science, of course).
Any thoughts on the upcoming iPad and iPhone functionality? Drop a note in the comments.
