Shelf Control: Tap Into Story Time With E-Book Streaming App Bookboard
March 18, 2013
Dubbed the "Netflix for children's e-books," Bookboard has recently launched its official iPad app. You can download it now in the App Store for free.
But you may hit a couple of snags after installing it and launching it for the first time. One, you must already have a Bookboard account. And two, you must already have a paid Bookboard subscription. Fret not, though, as these snags can be dealt with easily.
Unfortunately, there's no way to sign up for a new account right from the Bookboard app. To do so, you must visit the Bookboard website and complete the registration there, which includes options to add your and your kids' Bookboard profiles.
Once you already have a Bookboard account, just open the Bookboard app again and log in. But wait, it then tells you that a paid subscription is required to proceed within the app?
Unfortunately again, there's no way to avail of a paid subscription right from the Bookboard app. To do so, you must visit the Bookboard website again and choose between the two available subscription plans. There's the $4.99 per month six-month plan, and there's the $8.99 per month monthly plan.
Either subscription plan offers the following premium features:
If you can't see the video embedded above, please click here. Once you've chosen a subscription plan, you're now free to log in to your account in the Bookboard app and enjoy everything Bookboard has to offer for you and your little ones. But what if you want to try the service first before you commit with a paid subscription? Fortunately, there's an app for that. Not the Bookboard app, of course, since, as I've mentioned, a paid subscription is exactly what it requires. Rather, what you need is the Bookboard Web app. To access the Bookboard Web app, launch Safari on your iPad and go to app.bookboard.com. Then, tap the share button in Safari's toolbar and select the "Add to Home Screen" option. And there you have it: the Bookboard Web app is just a tap away from your home screen. After opening the Bookboard Web app and logging in with your account, you're now ready to give the "Netflix for children's e-books" a try. The Web app is practically the same as its native counterpart. The main difference is that the former is only a trial version of Bookboard while the latter is the whole nine yards. Compatible with iPad and iPad mini running iOS 5.0 or later, the Bookboard app is available now in the App Store for free. As always, if you have suggestions for Shelf Control, please feel free to email me at aldrin@appadvice.com or simply leave a comment below. [gallery link="file" order="DESC"]
- Unlimited book unlocks - 300+ stories available, with more added all the time.
- Audiobooks that read to your kids.
- Offline storage of books you open.
