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Google Takes On Amazon With Own E-Book Store

Posted by kdawson on from the real-page-turner dept.

CWmike writes "Google announced on Thursday that next year it's launching an online e-book store called Google Editions where users will be able to buy digital books that can be read on a range of gadgets, including e-book readers, laptops, and cell phones. Press reports out of Germany, where it was announced, note that Google plans to offer up half a million e-books from the get-go. Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group, said, 'The market leader, Amazon, built its position with a closed device, Kindle, which is limited to reading and buying eBooks. It will be interesting to see how well it stacks up against Google's strategy of delivering e-book capabilities via the Web to any device that can connect to the Internet. This gives Google a vastly larger addressable market than what Amazon has built up with Kindle so far.'" The price per book will be set by the publishers, Google says. Google willl turn over 45% of what they take in to the publisher and "the vast majority" of the rest to retailers.

12 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. The format is all that matters by DrivingBear · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As long as the books they sell are readable on any device they win in my book.

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    How can that be?
    1. Re:The format is all that matters by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The web browser thing makes sense to me given Google's app layout so far. I doubt you'll be buying a file at all. Instead, you'll probably get another tab on your Google area (akin to Documents, Photos, Reader, etc there are there now), and once you purchase access to a book it'll get tied to your account where you can read it online.

      There's still some degree of vendor locking in that all your books would be on their servers, but at least there's no device lock-in.

      I've certainly used a variety of devices to read ebooks though. I read The Wizard of Oz (admittedly a short book) on my iPod Touch because it was in a collection of public domain books I bought off the app store for $0.99.

      I've read several books on my desktop computer at work, simply because when you have nothing to do, looking at PDF's still looks like you're working. My boss thinks I'm diligently reading something technical while in reality I'm reading "The Time Machine" or some other sci-fi novel :).

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      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  2. what's the DRM story? by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    and what file format are they? they say 'browser based'. does that include lynx?

    how OPEN is this, really? anyone know?

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    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  3. Why are they paying retailers? by jhfry · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't understand why they would be paying "the vast majority" (of whats left after paying the publisher) to retailers?

    I haven't read the article yet, but either the summary is way off, misleading, or it just doesn't make sense!

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    Sometimes the best solution is to stop wasting time looking for an easy solution.
    1. Re:Why are they paying retailers? by PaintyThePirate · · Score: 4, Informative
      I was confused too. The summary is missing this key piece of information:

      "Google Editions allows retail partners to sell their books, especially those who haven't invested in a digital platform," he said. "We expect the majority (of customers) will go to retail partners not to Google. We are a wholesaler, a book distributor."

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      eclecti.cc
  4. The price matters by dtzitz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What they charge per book matters. I am not sure how many people you are going to get to buy an e-book for the same price that they could pick up a physical copy at their local book store or less if they bought it used on amazon. I am going to hold judgment until I see some prices.

  5. Re:what does browser based mean? by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Informative

    obvious questions: if it is browser based, can one read the book without being online? Can one download the book temporarily or for good? Are records kept from where and how long a reader reads a book and what kind of books are read? Will this be tied to your online profile and get you reader specific ads?

    From the article:

    The books bought from Google, and its partners, would be accessible on any gadget that has a Web browser, including smartphones, netbooks and personal computers and laptops. A book would be accessible offline after the first time it was accessed.

    There's an awful lot of questions and assumptions being asked about this device that are answered quite clearly in the article. I don't think anything about 'reader ads' are ads while reading was included in this. You'd be paying money for these books (just like with Amazon's Kindle), no ad supported revenue.

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    My work here is dung.
  6. Re:amazon vs. Google by Brainix · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Amazon has done some interesting research and development lately. In particular, look at Amazon's EC2 cloud computing platform, as well as Amazon's statistically improbable phrases (SIP) algorithm. I have a fetish for natural language parsing, so SIP is particularly interesting to me. These are innovations.

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    Raj Against the Machine! http://social-butterfly.appspot.com/
  7. Re:amazon vs. Google by Shakrai · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's wrong with that?

    Hippie: Because it's the corporations man. The corporations are raping and destroying the world. *takes a hit* We should get rid of all the corporations and like live together somewhere and like help each other. We can have one guy who makes bread and another guy who looks after people's safety.
    Stan: You mean like a baker and a cop?
    Hippie: You kids just don't understand because you haven't been to college yet.

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    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  8. Out of print. by JustNiz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I like the fact that Google are focussing on out-of-print books.
    It boggles my mind why Google scanning out-of-print books is kicking up a shit storm with book publishers though. I mean if the books are so marketable why are they out-of-print in the first place?
    Also, where else would I go to get an out-of-print book? perhaps a used book store but the publishers dont get a cut of that either but don't seem to mind those. At least with Google selling on their behalf they could arrange some kickback.

  9. Re:The device is all that matters by WaywardGeek · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It turns out that starting probably next year some time, you get the best of both worlds. We'll have netbooks and net tablets that pack displays equal to e-paper in sunlight, and with brilliant color.

    Personally, I translate e-books to high-speed audio (about 500 wpm), rather than reading, as my central vision is failing. I can't tell you how much I enjoy having books read to me at that speed with the old IBM ViaVoice TTS. The problem with Kindle and friends is they make it too hard or impossible for me to enjoy their books in the form I want. I have high hopes that netbooks with the new displays coupled with Googles e-book service will change the world.

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    Celebrate failure, and then learn from it - Nolan Bushnell
  10. Kindle app for iPhone/iPod by theurge14 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The summary mentioned Google will be going up against Kindle owners but didn't mention the Kindle app for iPhone.

    As of August 31 2009 the Kindle app for the iPhone was the 4th most popular app in the App Store, with estimates of 3 million Kindle for iPhone users out there.

    Google will be going against this as well as Stanza and the B&N ebook readers. Apparently there's a rather large market for ebooks on the iPhone/iPod touch.