iOS 6 beta notification may hint at support

Apple may be planning to add iBooks support to the Apple TV, an error message in the current iOS 6 beta suggests. AppleInsider notes that after a person downloads a book through the iBookstore, an Apple TV linked to the same iTunes account may present an unusual error message. "You tried to send a book sample from your computer. Get iBooks and turn on Automatic Downloads to receive book samples on this device."

While the message could just be a symptom of faulty coding, Apple might have some reason to bring iBooks to Apple TVs. It could be used for presenting textbooks and other material in educational settings, for instance, or for sharing children's books at home. At the same time, most books would be difficult and less convenient to read on a TV, which might leave little incentive to port the software.

iBooks debuted on the iPad in 2010, and since then has only spread to the iPhone and iPod touch; although people can visit the iBookstore through iTunes, there is no Mac or Windows version of iBooks itself. Desktops and notebooks may be a more likely target for a port, especially given iBooks Author's presence on Macs.

by MacNN Staff