Google to Start Publishing eBooks
Google’s Book Search feature haas been criticized for a few years now. In fact the whole initiative to scan books and make them public had earned Google enemies all around the place, but what was once a reason to complain may become another source of income for these publishers and authors.
According to the New York Times, Google’s new service would allow people to download entire books for a fee and would split the revenue with the publisher.
While the service is due by the end of the year, some ask whether Google should even get into it as historically, people tended to stir away from ebooks reporting of eye discomfort and inconvenience. Personally, I think that the only way something like this would catch would be some kind of handheld gadget that is loaded with a book or two and can then be taken anywhere, and even then it may be tough.
What do you think? ebooks? would you read an entire book online?
Tags: Book-Search, GoogleRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Google
2 opinions for Google to Start Publishing eBooks
k.p.
Sep 10, 2007 at 6:15 pm
I don’t think there is anything interesting about how Google will allow people to download books for a fee and split the revenue with publishers…this is just a standard retail arrangement and there are plenty of others already retailing ebooks. The real question is what it means for Google to actually become the store and not just the search engine. They are already limiting who they refer users on to to get the full-text…which is not a neutral position. What happens when they actually become not just the end retailer? It’s like being on a freeway with no off-ramps.
Reader
Sep 11, 2007 at 5:50 am
I would really like to see a practical, affordable, ebook-reading device. Better yet, a device that will handle PIM functions, MP3/WMA playback, video playback, WiFi/Bluetooth web browsing, and read-only of PDF/DOC/RTF/text/HTML, with at least a few gigs on the drive, some form of card reader, power management, and at least a 3″ QVGA screen, for under $200. Unifying devices is where it’s at, not getting us to carry 10 different gadgets.
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