What is an Ebook App

App is the shorthand name for an application and usually used in the context of mobile applications. They are standalone applications, usually platform specific, that run on the mobile operating system of the device. These applications can range anywhere from games to notetaking applications.

Talking in the context of ebooks, an ebook app is usually something that would be able to read a specific book or a number of specific books defined by the app maker. Where an ebook would usually require extra software to be able to read it such as kindle or iBooks, an ebook app has this software built in so other software is needed.

Since they aren’t constrained by other software, ebook app’s don’t have to be linear and don’t have to be read in a specific order, instead jumping round the content as you see fit. They can also contain many more “enhancements” than the enhanced ebooks can support such as games, quiz’s and other interactive elements.
Before Apple introduced its iBooks app in Jan 2010 along with the first iPad the app store was awash with book apps, with people creating simple ebook readers and uploading them to the store. Apple have recently started pushing developers away from doing this and instead, rejecting apps that could simply be published in the itunes store as a book, stating the following guidelines.

“2.21: Apps that are simply a song or movie should be submitted to the iTunes store. Apps that are simply a book should be submitted to the iBookstore”

It does make sense that Apple are doing this, especially when they are all about simplicity and not confusing the end user. There is no point of having two different places that customers can shop for books on one platform and the only reason why book apps should even exist is if they offer something that an ebook, enhanced or otherwise cannot do.