How can I get this Apple Book item without an iThing?

January 7, 2025 5:16 PM

I don't know a lot about this book, but there's not much else out there on the specifics of my keyboard, so I think I should get it... any advice? Is there a conversion service? I don't want an iPhone, iWatch, whatever, and apparently that's the only way one can buy an Apple Book.

...Or another book.

Yes, I've found all the Yamaha manuals, data list, etc. already.

Thank you!

posted by amtho to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

Can you provide the title/author or any other details about the book?
posted by bcwinters at 5:18 PM on January 7

Response by poster: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/moxf-handbook/id939561393

MOXF Handbook
A Beginners Guide for Your Yamaha MOXF Synthesizer
Adrian Zalten

Sorry, forgot to link it.
posted by amtho at 5:22 PM on January 7

It looks like that book was possibly created with the old iBooks Author app that Apple doesn’t make anymore; it was supposed to allow embedded multimedia (hence 600mb for a 28 page book) and the author could push updates out to purchasers and stuff like that.

I would try reaching out to the author (a quick search shows that they use X and have a personal website) and see if they could send you a PDF or a private YouTube link or something.
posted by bcwinters at 5:38 PM on January 7 [2 favorites]

There is one review of the book in the Apple Book Store. In case you can't access that, here it is, in full:

A unfinished book by a lazy author released as a money grab.

This was nothing short of a money grab. It had incomplete information, lack of ANY depth at all. Don't think of it as a 101 course. Think of it as a kindergarden (sic) course. 28 pages long and all with about 100 words on them. It's like a power point rather than a book. What's worse is that almost all linking to videos that are on Youtube for free. No explanations of why and what.

Just "press here, press there, etc." References to "let's look at this in the next chapter" and then... NOTHING. I consider myself a fair reviewer. I will look for positives but this has none. It's a disgrace and that it was released by the author should embarrass Yamaha (who he demos the product for.)

So what do I mean by incomplete? Here's an example. For How to create a pattern, he shows you how to build a sample pattern with 2 instruments. OK. So far so good. But does he show you how to save it? No. Does he show you how to combine patterns into a song (which the text says he will)? No. Does he even show you how to erase a note or track? No. NOTHING. Idiotically simplistic and lazy. I want my money back. A guaranteed disappointment.

posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:54 PM on January 7 [7 favorites]

Response by poster: Um, OK.

I guess I have a new question...
posted by amtho at 9:59 PM on January 7 [4 favorites]

Keyboard forum has a couple helpful suggestions.
posted by kschang at 12:19 AM on January 8