2GB cap being ignored by Apple partners?

(Updated with iTunes Connect info) In tandem with the announcement of iBooks Author, Apple has published a support document illustrating some details. The company notes, for instance, that while books can be published to the iBookstore as free or paid titles, they can also be exported as separate PDF, text, or iBooks files for distribution elsewhere, though only for free. Selling on the iBookstore requires registration, and a copy of iTunes Producer; submitting to iTunes U requires an iTunes U website.

Apple mentions that teachers and schools are not considered to be selling works if they're provided as part of a tuition-based course. Also of interest is that the file size for iBooks titles officially remains capped at 2GB, even though some of the textbooks now on sale from Apple partners measure as much as 3GB.

In a related document, the company cautions about using excessive detail in 3D models, since while an iPad 2 can allegedly handle objects with up to "50,000 moderately textured polygons," an iPad 1 can only cope with "20,000 moderately textured polygons." Models that push a hardware's limits can cause "increased load time, slower behavior, or a blurry image," the document warns.

Other new pages cover topics like adding VoiceOver support for the visually impaired, inserting video, and using "iPad-safe" fonts.

Update: AppleInsider observes that people who already have an iTunes Connect account must create a second one to publish to the iBookstore. Publishers must also have an iTunes account with a credit card on file, and a US Tax ID, even if work is being given away for free. For each book published, a unique ISBN is required; this includes a new number if a title is already available as a paper book.

by MacNN Staff