With all the yammer about Chrome and Android, the fact that Google had been planning to launch an online book store, Google Editions, this year had slipped many pundits’ minds. Well, the folks at Googleplex certainly are in no mood to forget, even if they are a bit off schedule – Google Editions had been expected this summer!). As per a report in the Wall Street Journal, Scott Dougal, a Google product management director, has said that the book store will make its debut in the US by the end of the year and will be launched internationally by the first quarter of 2011.
What makes Google Editions so interesting is the fact that it follows an open “read an e-book anywhere” model. So you can buy a book on Google Editions and instead of being confined to a particular device (did we hear someone say “Kindle”?), be able to read it on a computer, tablet, phone or just about any device that can access the Web and your Google account. Basically, you will be reading a book in your browser – no need to download any software or app! There has not been any clarification on the format that you can download books in, but we are assuming that in keeping with the “open” approach of the model, it will be one that is supported by most devices.
Google has already tied up with several publishers to offer their books online. Interestingly, as per the guidelines for publishers, Google will pay them 52 per cent of the revenues from book sales – a far cry from the 70 per cent being offered by Apple’s iBooks. But what really struck us as being interesting was the fact that while most e-books tend to cost more than their print editions on Amazon, iBooks and B&N, the ones on Google Editions will be available at a price that will not exceed the cost of their print editions (“Please note that we do not allow partners to set a list price higher than 100% of the lowest print price” stress the guidelines) and in many cases will be lower – the default price is 80 per cent of the print edition price. Now, if that does not set e-books flying off shelves, nothing will.
Bookworms should be rubbing their hands in anticipation. We certainly are!
Makes a huge difference to the situation I had here : http://onlygizmos.com/why-my-dad-rejected-the-ipad/2010/05/
Yes, does it not? I am keeping my fingers crossed here. From what I have seen (and heard) it will not make any of the e-book readers obsolete but will give readers cheaper e-books that work on just about any device. Cool!