Seriously, Dad, why are you making this hard for me?

December 17, 2011 9:55 AM

So. I want to buy my dad a book for Christmas. And I know which one. But. He is reading all his books on his fancy new iPad these days How do I buy him books now? I don't want to just send a gift card.
posted by SLC Mom to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

I have a fancy Kindle and I still read real live books. I'd go ahead and get him the book. He'll still read it!
posted by Sassyfras at 9:58 AM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: It seems you cannot gift iBooks.

You can, however, gift kindle books from amazon and read them on the ipad. So long as he's gets the kindle app. (App doesn't cost anything)

and I'm the exact opposite of Sassyfras. I don't like reading books on anything but my kindle anymore.
posted by royalsong at 10:02 AM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

What program is he using on the iPad? I know you can gift Kindle books through Amazon, but I have no experience with books through Pages on the iPad. To gift a book through Kindle you will have to know the name of his Kindle or his Amazon account email tied to his Kindle.
posted by MultiFaceted at 10:03 AM on December 17, 2011

nthing Kindle. The program is free and I, like royalsong, prefer to read on my tablet rather than carry around paper books (it's much handier). Though I will read a book if that's all that's available. I'd bring it up in conversation and see what your dad prefers.
posted by patheral at 10:11 AM on December 17, 2011

If you know what app he uses to read and what format he likes his books on all of the major ebook sellers Amazon, B&N let you gift books which might be more personal than just a gift card. Having said that I'd just go ahead and buy him the book, you can't write a nice handwritten heartfelt message in the front of an ebook, and I say that as someone who is madly in love with her Nook.
posted by wwax at 10:12 AM on December 17, 2011

> To gift a book through Kindle you will have to know the name of his Kindle or his Amazon account email tied to his Kindle

Nope, you just have to know his e-mail address, any e-mail address.
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:22 AM on December 17, 2011

Best answer: nthing Kindle. I just did this with my sister.

The Kindle App for the iPad is free, and then you can just buy an ebook as a gift via Amazon. They give you the following choices for your gift:
- emailing the gift notice to the recipient right away
- emailing the gift notice to the recipient on a scheduled date
- emailing it to YOU so that you can print it out and have something physical to give him (the gift code is printed on the certificate)

Apple is counting on the fact that people will think they are married to the Apple store for these purchases. They may be right.
posted by intermod at 10:23 AM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Careful about just buying him the book. He may love his ereader because he can jack the fonts way up and easily read with old person eyes. They are a godsend that way.
posted by aspo at 10:27 AM on December 17, 2011

Response by poster: Final solution: it turns out that he really prefers the iPad for reading because of the vision issues, storage, and convenience. And the Kindle give a book choice makes it dead simple!!
Thanks all!!!
posted by SLC Mom at 8:58 AM on December 26, 2011