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'Google eBookstore' Launches in U.S. With iOS Support

So many bookstores. So many choices. So much bargain hunting!

I need an app that can cross reference a book's price across Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, and now Google.
 
Kindle Is The Superior Reader Experience

So as long as I get the content onto my Kindle, more content is always welcome. In this case, hooray!

I have an iPad and the screen isn't something that lends itself to long-form reading. Eye fatigue sets in, and to add to that, the distraction factor is epic. "Oh I could just pop over to Angry Birds Seasons for a bit..."

For me, the Kindle is far superior for reading. And as an avid reader, I now carry my Kindle and iPhone with me everywhere instead of iPad and iPhone.
 
:confused: Who puts something like "recommended for iPhones with more than 256MB memory" on the app description page? Apple doesn't publish the RAM specs for iPhones, and most users aren'y aware of it. Better to say, "iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen, and up"
 
yourwiseguy said:
Whoever gets Harry Potter in eBook form first will win my approval. Done.
Click to expand...

Tomorrow is just another day. You'll never forget.

Come back tomorrow for a big announcement from iBooks.

..... [one day passes] .....

Harry Potter, now on iBooks.
 
benhollberg said:
Who reads?
Click to expand...

Umm, Steve Jobs thinks people do. Or, wait, no, he doesn't either. Umm, wait, maybe he does.

blondepianist said:
:confused: Who puts something like "recommended for iPhones with more than 256MB memory" on the app description page? Apple doesn't publish the RAM specs for iPhones, and most users aren'y aware of it. Better to say, "iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen, and up"
Click to expand...

I saw that too. Nice little jab at the iPad. People are now going to go scurry around and try to find out the amount of RAM their iDevice has.
 
Not sure if its better than the god awful iBooks store, but I'll give it a look and see. Nothing has come even remotely close to what the Kindle store offers though.
 
blondepianist said:
:confused: Who puts something like "recommended for iPhones with more than 256MB memory" on the app description page? Apple doesn't publish the RAM specs for iPhones, and most users aren'y aware of it. Better to say, "iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd Gen, and up"
Click to expand...

To me it speaks to the geek/spec culture over there. You buy the one with the most memory, the fastest processor, the best specs. As opposed to what Apple has been trying to do lately, which is to make the specs invisible to the user and focus on usability. I honestly had no clue how much memory is in my iPad. And I don't care, because it works well and does the job I want. Apple knows it won't win on the specs alone, so it focuses on other things instead.
 
How is Google ebooks different than the Kindle solution? I can read my Kindle books on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, etc and it remembers where I left off.

They're using the word "open" but I'm not sure where it's different.

Google ebook store = Kindle Store
Google desktop app = Kindle Desktop App
Google mobile app = Kindle Mobile App
Google page sync = Kindle page sync

Regarding choice, it adds a third (iBooks, Kindle and Google ebooks).

So choice already existed and they use the word "open"...

Am I missing something obvious?
 
allpar said:
But do they support Kindle? For serious reading, Kindle remains #1 IMHO. (At least for people who have issues with eyestrain, you can't beat digital ink.)

Seems almost like non-news; what does Google offer that isn't already out there?
Click to expand...

I agree with you about Kindle being the best option for long reading.

I tried to read a free book via Google ebook service on my Kindle browser, and it worked perfectly (via Wi-Fi and 3G). However, I am not sure whether paid books will work. It seems the service uses Adobe DRM technology, which some sites are claiming Kindle does not support. At least the free books definitely work. However, I am not trying to buy one from Google service to find out. In any case, I don't intend to buy through Google anyway. I'll stick to the Amazon Kindle store for my purchases.
 
This eReader is awesome. It takes Google just 1 try to make a good reader. Apple is still trying. I am a reader who reads a lot at night. Therefore, I use the white text on black background pretty much all the time.

I know there is a work-around for this for the iBooks app (going through Accessibility), but this way still has a big bright white status bar at the top of the page. Very distracting in a dark room. Furthermore, the margins on iBooks are much too big and wasteful while using it on the iPhone.

When Jobs says nobody reads, I think he was talking about the people who actually designed the iBooks app. It's really user unfriendly when it comes to actual reading (I guess it good for making commercials about how the page turns are cute though).
 
embraceware said:
So choice already existed and they use the word "open"...

Am I missing something obvious?
Click to expand...

I think they are referring to the fact that you can use the service via any web-browser. For other stores you need their application. Not that it matters since Amazon has an application for all popular devices out there. But technically there might be some device for which a Kindle app does not exist, but on which you can access Google ebooks via the web browser.
 
pumpkinwhite said:
I think they are referring to the fact that you can use the service via any web-browser. For other stores you need their application. Not that it matters since Amazon has an application for all popular devices out there. But technically there might be some device for which a Kindle app does not exist, but on which you can access Google ebooks via the web browser.
Click to expand...

Or, you can be on a device where you are not allowed to download and install applications. However, every computer usually has a browser on it. So, therefore, you can basically access you eBooks on computer that already has a browser installed.
 
OK, I have been searching high and low. Can we not add the books we already own to our Google Books library? Or, just books we have purchased from Google Bookstore?
 
Google is so ballsy. They're even using Apple's awkward, but trademark friendly "iBookstore" spelling just with "eBookstore."
 
kas23 said:
OK, I have been searching high and low. Can we not add the books we already own to our Google Books library? Or, just books we have purchased from Google Bookstore?
Click to expand...

Actually, after looking through the help section, it doesn't look like this is possible. So, in order to access books via this system, you must purchase them. Geez, Google has really out-Appled Apple with this move.
 
While I love iBooks' interface, the selection is seriously lacking. I downloaded the app to my iPad, and it's pretty nice. I think I'll use this for a book that isn't in the iBookstore.
 
It's really doesn't serve much of a purpose since the prices are all the same no matter what vendor (B&N, Amazon, Google, Apple) you buy from, since all the publishers are conspiring and obviously price fixing. Hopefully the government will stop this nonsense soon. With all this "competition", I'm not seeing lower prices.
 
No textbooks on this store...

It is shame that no matter what new ebook store we get, textbooks, are stilll left out...

There is people out there like me, that would like to have some of those 5Lb books available on their devices...

I imagine that it has to do with the fact that the ePub format is though when something different than harry potter is the subject...

What ever happened to the giant text book publishers, like McGraw Hill and their "support" for the iBooks store before its launch?????

I think I will email Steve-o and ask him... :rolleyes:

When it comes to textbooks, even the Kindle SUCKS!

Whoeve gets Civetta's critical care medicine book on any electronic format wins my money (As I will pay even more for an electronic version than the printed one for this book)....
 
notjustjay said:
To me it speaks to the geek/spec culture over there. You buy the one with the most memory, the fastest processor, the best specs. As opposed to what Apple has been trying to do lately, which is to make the specs invisible to the user and focus on usability. I honestly had no clue how much memory is in my iPad. And I don't care, because it works well and does the job I want. Apple knows it won't win on the specs alone, so it focuses on other things instead.
Click to expand...

Well, one can try hiding the specs but this works only for some usage scenarios. The some applicatons/data file comes along that demands more resources and the user gets toasted for no fault of his own. In my opinion, Apple is doing disservice to its customers by hiding the specs.
 
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