iTunes Offers PDF Subscriptions, eBooks Next?
iTunes has quietly started to offer PDF enclosures subscriptions in the podcast section of the store. First up is the Wikinews print edition. You can search for and subscribe to Wikinews in the iTunes Music Store. (iTunes link) Instead of receiving an audio enclosure, iTunes will download a special PDF for you every day on cue. Wikinews, a citizen journalism site powered by wikis, also offers a PDF feed on its own that does not require iTunes. See iTunes screen grabs below.
There's more. Wikinews is not the only PDF you can subscribe to in the iTunes store. Rick Steve's audio tours include both audio and PDFs (iTunes link).
The addition of PDFs to iTunes is more than just a mildly interesting occurrence. iTunes, as a ubiquitous cross-platform app, has its own embedded browser that powers the music store. It's conceivable that Apple could turn iTunes into a dedicated RSS reader that operates like Safari and become a clearing house for all subscription-based content. In addition, wireless is on the way according to this patent filing.
Taking this a step further, it's also highly possible that if iTunes enhances its DRM to include other enclosures it will move into e-books and or e-magazines. Oh, and where might those eBooks be consumed? How about on one of these rumored babies.
