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Google Betas Google Print
Chronic Infection writes "Google is beta testing a book search service called
Google Print. Here is a list of books included to date." Quick spot checking turned up excerpts like this one for The DaVinci Code, a great book if you haven't read it.
This is simply amazing. First it's amazing that publishers are allowing such a thing. It's also amazing to imagine what we only be in the immediate future for all of us. Knowledge at our fingertips, from web sites, and now from online books whose publishers realize that many, many people will read parts online but will want to purchase a dead tree to read the whole book.
I know Amazon did this first, but I love to see Google taking up the idea. Google is simply my favorite company in the world. They don't take crap from (mostly) anyone, and they run Linux across the board. They are an undeniable force.
It may be risky, but I for one will be investing in Google the moment they release their stock. This is a terrific company and the people that are running it are terrifically smart!
Most of the alleged "excerpts" are nothing of the sort. They're just bibliographic entries.
This would be a really useful service if they could distinguish between the books that have *actual* excerpts and those which just had descriptions, TOCs, etc.
Well but that's something different. Google would need to "know" about "links to the books" (and preferably also "links from the books"). But citations (which come to my mind first) don't have a standardized format as hyperlinks have (i.e. <a href="blabla">linktext</a>)
The DaVinci Code is not really all that good. The basic premise is fascinating, and the euthor may or may not be very knowledgeable about his subject matter, but the story itself is just too full with very tired thriller cliches - I mean, a six-foot tall Albino as the immediate villain? Please. /Janne
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Google has been slowly adding features for years. Google groups
used to be dejanews. Google answers, google taskbar (includes pop up
blocker), image search, catalogue.
What could google add in the future? It has to be add supported,
not upset their current advertisers and be somthing they could do well.
Look out iTunes et al if google ever starts selling music.
Google movies if the MPAA ever descided to sell films online
for a resonable cost.
Google instant messenger.