Apple just released a free Mac application called iBooks Author that allows you to create ebooks that can be viewed on iPad tablets. This is great news for educators looking to prepare classroom materials for classrooms that have iPad tablets. And, we are happy to tell you that if you have MathType installed, you can add equations to ebooks you create with iBooks Author. It works just like it does in the iWork ’09 apps, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. You can even make the math accessible to students with visual disabilities. Find out more about Adding math to books created with iBooks Author and how MathType works 600+ other apps and websites, in the Works With area of our website.
MathType users interested in making ebooks may also be interested in Scrivener. While it is not free, unlike Apple’s iBooks Author, it allows you to make ebooks that work on all kinds of computers, tablets, and ebook readers, not just iPads.
MathType does not appear to be working in iBooks Author. I presume it should work like it does in Pages, but this does not appear to be the case. When selected from the menu, a space is produced at the cursor and double clicking this opens MathType (which is not necessary in Pages, which immediately opens MathType). However, again unlike Pages, closing the MathType window does not put the symbol into the iBooks Author document. Perhaps I am doing something incorrectly but I cannot see what this is.
Posted by: Peter Young | January 21, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Peter, the way MathType is integrated into iBooks Author is the same as Pages, so you are correct that the 2 should work the same way. You've also correctly noticed that when you choose the Insert MathType Equation command, what iBooks Author does is inserts a blank equation into your book at the insertion point (cursor). Double-clicking this empty equation should bring the MathType window into focus (in front of the other windows), but that should be unnecessary, as the equation should already be open in MathType. Check to see if this is the case. Before double-clicking this empty equation, you can verify whether MathType is open or not, by holding down the Command key and pressing and releasing Tab. If you see the MathType blue Sigma in that list of open programs, keep pressing Tab until MathType is selected, then release the Command key.
This should really be unnecessary though, since what should happen is exactly what happens with Pages: Choose the Insert MathType Equation command, MathType opens in front of the other windows, create your equation, close the MathType window. The equation should be in your document/book.
If you still have trouble getting it to work, please email us at support@dessci.com and let us help. In the email, include your full configuration (OS X version, MathType version) and MathType product key.
Posted by: Bob Mathews | February 02, 2012 at 08:45 AM