Saturday, January 22, 2011

Google Buys eBook Technologies

Google Inc. has bought eBook Technologies. If you’re wondering what eBook Technologies is, here’s what Internet Retailer said about it:
 ... a company that sells technology used to operate digital reading devices, along with related publishing tools and software.
This comes 5 weeks after Google opened its ebookstore with over 3 million free books and hundreds of thousands of other titles, downloadable to many devices.

Dmitriy Molchanov, a analyst who covers e-books for Yankee Group, estimates that:
 … U.S. consumers by 2013 will buy 381 million e-books each year, four times the amount purchased in 2010. Annual e-book sales will reach $2.7 billion within the next three years, he says, even as the average price for an e-book falls to $7, down from more than $9 in 2009.
If you’d like to see the Google ebookstore, you can find it here. In the header of the home page, they list that books are downloadable to: Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, the Web, Nook & Sony.

Anyone downloaded a book from Google’s ebookstore?

23 comments:

  1. Interesting. It seems like they might be trying for direct competition with Amazon? I'm not generally in favor of conglomerates. Too easy to dictate prices and control the market, the way the publishing houses do. I guess we'll see.

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  2. Hmmm...what's up with that? I smell a huge plot. I haven't got an ebook reader yet - wish they'd make a waterproof one as my favourite reading is in the tub - but I digress. Actually, I just can't afford one because I'm a starving writer.

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  3. I don't have one either, Jan. I'd like to have one though. I have e-Envy every time I come downstairs and find my husband sitting in the dark reading by the light of his iPad, especially if he also has the fireplace going.

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  4. I have an ereader and I really like it. I'm all for Google giving Amazon some competition. I'm going to check it out and see if they're selling my books.

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  5. What amazes me is how slow publishing seemed to be to jump on this crazy-exploding ebook market!

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  6. I guess competition is a good thing even in the e-book world. One of these days I may have to break down an get an ereader at this rate. :)

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  7. Not yet - just from the iBookstore itself.

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  8. Hope they are, Susan. If they're not, hope you can figure out how to get them up there.

    I want to get one, too, Mason. Unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps), I hate to spend money.

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  9. I've downloaded a couple of classics, and will probably download more >:)

    Cold As Heaven

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  10. Don't have an e-reader yet either. If I did, I don't know when I would have time to use it!

    Thanks for the informative post.

    Monti
    NotesAlongTheWay

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  11. If I had an e-Reader, I would use it. And I would give the Google ebookstore a try.

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  12. With no Kindle compatibility, I doubt I'd bother. But since Google are slowly taking over the world ...

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  13. They are on a march to world domination, aren't they, Jamie! I don't mind if they take over email though, since I'm happy with gmail.

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  14. I agree with Jamie - Google is trying to take over. The Google author settlement is still a mess.

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  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. Call me strange, but I think you should settle the details and agreements before you take action. Clearly, Google does not listen to me.

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  17. Google is going to take over the world! If Facebook doesn't get there first...

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  18. I heard something about Google books being up in the clouds, being only accessible through the net, unlike Kindle books which only need to be downloaded and then can be accessed without a web connection. I'm not sure if that's true.

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

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  19. Hadn't heard that, Morgan. But then I don't have an eReader.

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  20. Hi Helen .. thanks for posting this - interesting .. I know ipads are 'good' but someone else recommended a Nook Colour (I think) and raved about it .. having neither & still preferring paper .. for now - but I can see the advantage.

    Are ebooks shorter? Are ebooks getting shorter those published today?

    I can read an ebook in 30 - 60 pages or so on the screen .. that's ok .. but more I'd be ..... (not sure what!) .. and my eyes certainly would be saying "no more screen"

    Great read - thanks ..Hilary

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  21. I have not come across the Google ebookstore. I will have a look.

    I downloaded Kindle for pc and Firefox ereader. I am not sure what ereader to buy, so am biding my time. I will no doubt buy the Gindlenook. LOL


    Interesting post, thanks.

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  22. *sigh* Because I am an alien with three heads living in Cyprus, I cannot buy from Google ebookstore. It is not availble to this part of the world.

    One point to Kindle!

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  23. Glynis, you'll probably have to wait until they sell the eReader (be it the iPad or the Nook or the Kindle or whatever) there before you can get books to go on them. They each have their own demands, quirks and designs.

    The only reader I'm familiar with is the iPad - and that's because my husband has one. He loves it and reads exclusively on it. The last book he read, some thriller, was over 800 pages, I believe he said.

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