According to PCWorld, Google Editions is supposed to be different:
E-books will be universal in that users can access them from any Web-connected device, and roughly 500,000 titles will be available at launch. Online books are cached once you've loaded them, so they can also be viewed offline.Google is playing nice with publishers, too.
Publishers will get 63 percent of the revenue from book sales and Google takes the rest.But so far, according to the article, some questions haven’t been addressed. Like, if you order through Google Editions, how will the books look on your Kindle or Nook? Will Google Editions books have the same features when you read them on your iPad?
And, I’m wondering, if you can purchase Google Editions books for your iPad or Kindle or Nook, how easy will it be? These guys are not playing nice with each other - because they want to be the guy who survives in the end. I can’t blame them, but while they fight it out, the readers are taking some hits.
We’re still early in the growth of ebooks and ereaders. What would you like to see?
I'd like to see some form of cohesion with these different formats! This is exactly why I haven't invested in a reader yet...
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
I agree! It's getting mental, and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it all. I have a Sony eReader and I would love to be able to use it with Amazon books.
ReplyDeleteIt's only a matter of time before market forces normalise the e-reader/e-book standards. We just have to ride it out in the meantime. Things like this Google store will help to level the field over time.
ReplyDeleteStandards are needed. But the big companies are often monopolistic, and don't want open standards, The worst example is the Microsoft bastards, and Google tries to get the same role in Internet applications >:)
ReplyDeleteCold As Heaven
I haven't bought an ereader yet, but I'd like to see some sort of uniformity too. I think I'll wait a little longer and see how the dust settles.
ReplyDeleteBet the books will look great on Google's new tablet, which comes out soon.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Nook and Kindle have apps for the iPad, so hopefully Google does the same.
I think having too many choices is going to make people more hesitant to buy because it's too hard to tell who's going to win the e-reader/e-book battle.
ReplyDeleteI'm following these stories with interest, both as a writer and an eReader owner.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like its taking a long time for all this new stuff to shake out, and I'm sure there's more shaking yet to come!
I'll hang out without for a while longer...til all this shaking out is done.
ReplyDeleteONE e-book universally available on all e-readers. Kindle Nook iPad whatever...but ONE e-book. It's an interesting evolution.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Elizabeth, this is why I haven't bought in yet!
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
We've finally bought one. My husband got an iPad. He loves it. It's gonna take time, but I'm hoping we'll come down to a common format.
ReplyDeleteI've been ignoring the ebook thing until recently. I love the feel of the real deal. But my husband wanted me to order the Kobo (I think it's the Canadian version of Nook) to get my feedback (he invests in the retail company that sells them). I'm already seeing potental problems, and I haven't even received mine yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm not worried about the other ebook sellers. I'm planning to be loyal to the Canada company that sells the ebooks for the Kobo . . . but that's because they also sell the real deal. ;)
I'd really love to own one but not now. There are just too many devices and way too many formats.
ReplyDeleteSo I play the waiting game the way I did with all the other gadgets.
Hopefully they all get it togethe!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how some convergence is coming with ebook publishing. It's a high stakes competitive match as you say.
ReplyDeleteI think standardization and common formats are over-rated. Many of our consumer products have similar functions but are not interchangeable or compatible with one another, yet we get along fine. We make our choices based on what gives us the most advantage and we make do with what we have.
ReplyDeleteUltimately some formats will disappear because of consumer choices. VHS beat out Beta, even though Beta was technically superior. VHS, however, was cheaper so the porn industry adopted it and consumers followed suit. The ereaders that offer more of the content that consumers want will be the winners.
According to a report in Publishers Weekly last year, paranormal erotica and romance books seem to be recession-proof. Eroticism has always been one of the top-selling categories in ebooks, so if you are betting on which ebook format will be the winner, look for the format with the most paranormal erotica titles.
I would like to see a standard format - or platform - or whatever it is called so all e-books could be viewed easily on all devices.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to see a standard, across the board royalty split. The best being offered right now is 70% to the author/publisher from Amazon.
Stina, when you get it, let us know what you think.
ReplyDeleteThat's rather sad - the industry will go the way the porn industry leads.
I'd love a common format. I'm not holding my breath, though.
I think I’ll simply stay with my paper version of books. Maybe by time I’m actually ready for an eReader they’ll have all the compatibility kinks worked out.
ReplyDeleteWe downloaded both the B&N app and Amazon app to the iPad, but couldn't figure out how to get them to work. Then we downloaded iBooks and, of course, were able to easily download books.
ReplyDelete@Stina: let us know how the Kobo goes.
ReplyDeleteI have a Kindle, and I'm disappointed that only some of the cool features work in Canada.
I wanted to use it to work on my novel, but I can't dl my own stuff because I don't have a Kindle e-mail address and everything with Amazon is so damned propitiatory.
I wonder if it's the same thing with the iPad...
Jenn, I don't know if iPad is restricted to iBooks or if we just don't know what we're doing.
ReplyDelete