Apple Engineering tells me to sync w iCloud Drive.

[John R1498576217]

Several weeks ago I went through a period where I could not get iTunes12.3.3 in El Capitan 10.11.4 to sync newly created pdf's to my iOS9.3 iPad Air. iTunes had no issue seeing older pdfs to sync from iBooks 1.5 on my iMac, it was ANY newly created pdfs, iTunes failed to see them in iBooks.

 

I called AppleCare, the senior tech I wound up talking to watched me on screen as I would make a pdf and then try to sync it. The senior tech had me do various maneuvers and restarts, but iTunes failed to see the newly created pdfs. She had me pull a full system report, and said she would report it to Apple Engineering.

 

Today, the senior tech called back. She says Apple Engineering says to use iCloud Drive instead of syncing w iTunes12. I am to stop using iTunes12 to sync w my devices.

 

Luckily, in the last few days, iTunes has begun to recognize newly created pdf's again. But syncing w iTunes may be on the way to the technology dust bin. In no way do I want to RENT BY THE MONTH to use my computer w any devices. Maybe Apple will force us all into cloud rental.

[kirkmc]

Well, that's a cop-out from Apple. You can certainly store PDFs on iCloud Drive, but there's no Preview app on iOS, so you have to then move them to iBooks on the iPad.

 

Technically, iTunes isn't syncing with iBooks; iTunes is just the interface for iBooks syncing. And, theoretically, once the books are synced to iBooks, they also sync in the cloud to other iOS devices.

 

I've heard about some problems with iBooks syncing, but not enough to offer any answers.