Google "Play Books" to allow uploading of personal ebooks - Page 2

Thrasher · 05-16-2013, 09:59 PM

I like the idea of opening the book where you left off on a different device. Now all we need is an e-ink screen device with Android OS without the need to go through rooting etc..

aagstn · 05-17-2013, 12:22 AM

I like the direction Google is going, but for now Moon+ and dropbox will remain my go to. I get the syncing across devices with much less hassle.

tomsem · 05-17-2013, 02:51 AM

There are few options if you want a cross-platform option for reading and syncing third party content, even just for iOS and Android. By my count, there are three: Kindle, txtr, and now Google. Kindle also includes an ereader device as a supported platform, but Google adds read in web browser platform, where Kindle Cloud Reader only works with content from Amazon. Amazon seems more likely to extend support to other mobile and desktop apps in the future, but for me Android + iOS is an important threshold to cross, and it is good to see the 'club' expand.

Tom Swift · 05-17-2013, 06:26 AM

It's not available in China.

Great, either the government blocks Google pages in China or Google blocks certain pages from being viewed in China. You can't win.

Techno Wizard · 05-17-2013, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Swift

It's not available in China.

Great, either the government blocks Google pages in China or Google blocks certain pages from being viewed in China. You can't win.

Well no need to blame the government on that one cheif as when I was in hong Kong I could not download Evan Google books or Google play onto my LG optimus 4x HD smart phone.Its googles geo restrictions of Asia at work again

Don't forget Google pulled out of the mainland because they fell out with the beijing government over a year ago.

Namekuseijin · 05-17-2013, 03:50 PM

BTW, does anyone notice a lag when turning pages? Is it my impression that you basically download a page again each time?

Hating the clouds!

WashWest · 05-17-2013, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostyjack

It's good to have this, but after trying it, I don't think I'll continue, as there doesn't seem to be any form of library management.

I agree that it is a pretty limited interface right now, but I'm still excited by the possibilities. I submitted feedback asking for better sorting options and I encourage others to do the same. (Click on the settings icon in the top right, next to Upload Books, then click on Send Feedback.) The Google feedback mechanism is pretty neat, with the ability to highlight parts of the screen and blackout anything you don't want others to see.

WashWest · 05-17-2013, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

BTW, does anyone notice a lag when turning pages? Is it my impression that you basically download a page again each time?

Are you using a mobile device? There's an option you can check to "keep on device" so that you can read offline.

Dopedangel · 05-17-2013, 10:11 PM

Google is a service provider mostly I hope this leads to Google introducing an api for developers of reader apps to download, view, sync and buy from Google books as well as pay commissions on ebook purchased through those apps.
Currently with so many apps having so many different stores the Android ebook market is extremely fragmented this would make google a force in the ebook world. And might even force Amazon at least to introduce an api for other apps other than kindle to buy, read and sync kindle ebooks.

Arbait · 05-19-2013, 02:03 PM

I'm in Belgium: "Sorry! Books on Google Play is not available in your country yet.
We're working to bring the content you love to more countries as quickly as possible.
Please check back again soon."

caleb72 · 05-20-2013, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teh603

Dunno, I always found it easier to use Calibre. I only have a few books on Google Play, so I tend to use other apps for reading.

You can sync across devices using Calibre? How do you do that?

I love the Amazon personal document service because then I can grab epub or mobi files, use the Send to Kindle function so that it stores the file as a personal document and then I can have synchronisation between my Galaxy Note and my Kindle.

I can't see a reason to use the Google Play upload option myself as I already have my needs met with Amazon's service, but if you happened to switch a lot between multiple devices able to use the Google Play book reader app, something like this could be useful. I don't know how many eInk devices are able to load the Google Play book app though as I haven't looked at that aspect of other devices.

sumguy · 05-20-2013, 10:06 AM

I'm really happy about it, because it's the only way I've found to sync highlights and notes between my mobile devices and my computer, for my non-DRM books. I hear a lot of people say that they just don't read books on their computer, but I do a lot of research and writing, so being able to access my books and notes on my laptop is crucial.

It's unfortunate that the web reader doesn't support access to the notes and highlights when offline, nor searching your uploaded books (although the iOS app does both of these). Also the lack of collections or folders is irritating, and the text justification on iOS is really ugly. But it's amazing that it works at all, because nothing else does...

So, I'm off to research whether it's possible to get Google Play Books to sync highlights to an e-ink reader (pointers?) and if so, put my Kindle up for sale!

p.s., @Namekuseijin, the iOS app definitely downloads the whole book to the device at once, not one page at a time. You can read offline. I assume the Android app is the same. I do see some delays once in a while when turning pages though - perhaps it's related to syncing the reading position?

Namekuseijin · 05-20-2013, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WashWest

Are you using a mobile device? There's an option you can check to "keep on device" so that you can read offline.

a fine tip

but here's the weird thing: it wasn't turning pages slowly because it was downloading each page each time anew. It is a weird ebook where you can read either the scanned pages or the "conversion". It turns out the conversion seems to be done on-the-fly, everytime you reach some pages. That's the only explanation I seem to find... reading the original scanned pages is fast, but there's no font resizing and the conversion takes 1 second or 2 per page...

tomsem · 05-20-2013, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Namekuseijin

a fine tip

but here's the weird thing: it wasn't turning pages slowly because it was downloading each page each time anew. It is a weird ebook where you can read either the scanned pages or the "conversion". It turns out the conversion seems to be done on-the-fly, everytime you reach some pages. That's the only explanation I seem to find... reading the original scanned pages is fast, but there's no font resizing and the conversion takes 1 second or 2 per page...

One of the charms of Google Play books is the ability, with some books, to switch between 'Flowing Text' ("ePub") and 'Original Page'/'Scanned Pages' ("PDF").

But the behavior is completely different on iOS and Android.

For one thing the setting is in 'Aa' options on iOS and in the 'triple bar' menu on Android. and the name of the option is different (as noted above).

With the iOS app, the entire content is downloaded, by default only 'Flowing Text'. When going page by page, there's no significant delay, except when jumping to a new chapter via the TOC. Once you select 'Scanned Pages' the download icon will spin around for a minute or so, and you can jump anywhere in the book without delay, and offline.

In the Android app, the entire content is not downloaded except when the book is 'pinned'. But even then, you cannot do much offline reading in 'Original Page' mode: the pages download on demand over the network, with a delay every few pages.

taosaur · 05-20-2013, 11:24 PM

I've been using GPB for Android as my main reader since the update, despite all its shortcomings compared to Mantano, Aldiko or Moon+. I initially uploaded my then-current read just to test-drive the app, and found it subpar in all but one area: the server-side text-to-speech enabled by ticking off the "high quality voice" setting. I had been reading the Foreigner series as both audiobooks and text, "whispersync" style, but only had audio for the first half of the series. The exotic names and alien languages would render the text all but incomprehensible through most TTS engines, and Google has it's hiccups, too, but the pronunciations are fluid and consistent enough to follow even when they aren't correct.

I've used both Android and Windows TTS for novels before, and Google's server-side offering isn't revolutionary, but it's noticeably better. Getting it started is glitchy; often going to menu>read aloud has no effect and I have to back out of the book to the library page, then come back.

The app's main annoyance when actually reading on my Nook HD+ is the kludgy brightness control, requiring three steps just to get there and then adjusting in too-large increments. The convenience of keeping my place while switching between audio and text, however, trumps the poor interface. It handles the core functions just fine: display text, turn pages.

If I'm reading an EPUB for which I do have an audiobook or listening to a different audiobook than what I'm reading as text (which is most often the case), I'll stick with Mantano. For my current scenario, GPB is a great TTS app and an adequate ereader.

05-20-2013, 10:06 AM	#27
sumguy Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 1186 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: none	I'm really happy about it, because it's the only way I've found to sync highlights and notes between my mobile devices and my computer, for my non-DRM books. I hear a lot of people say that they just don't read books on their computer, but I do a lot of research and writing, so being able to access my books and notes on my laptop is crucial. It's unfortunate that the web reader doesn't support access to the notes and highlights when offline, nor searching your uploaded books (although the iOS app does both of these). Also the lack of collections or folders is irritating, and the text justification on iOS is really ugly. But it's amazing that it works at all, because nothing else does... So, I'm off to research whether it's possible to get Google Play Books to sync highlights to an e-ink reader (pointers?) and if so, put my Kindle up for sale! p.s., @Namekuseijin, the iOS app definitely downloads the whole book to the device at once, not one page at a time. You can read offline. I assume the Android app is the same. I do see some delays once in a while when turning pages though - perhaps it's related to syncing the reading position? Last edited by sumguy; 05-20-2013 at 10:11 AM.

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05-16-2013, 09:59 PM	#16
Thrasher Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 1003934 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Device: Nook Wifi	I like the idea of opening the book where you left off on a different device. Now all we need is an e-ink screen device with Android OS without the need to go through rooting etc..

05-17-2013, 12:22 AM	#17
aagstn Evangelist Posts: 422 Karma: 1004351 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3, iPad mini 2	I like the direction Google is going, but for now Moon+ and dropbox will remain my go to. I get the syncing across devices with much less hassle.

05-17-2013, 02:51 AM	#18
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,478 Karma: 26425959 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	There are few options if you want a cross-platform option for reading and syncing third party content, even just for iOS and Android. By my count, there are three: Kindle, txtr, and now Google. Kindle also includes an ereader device as a supported platform, but Google adds read in web browser platform, where Kindle Cloud Reader only works with content from Amazon. Amazon seems more likely to extend support to other mobile and desktop apps in the future, but for me Android + iOS is an important threshold to cross, and it is good to see the 'club' expand.

05-17-2013, 06:26 AM	#19
Tom Swift Addict Posts: 250 Karma: 1232346 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Macau Device: Kindle Oasis (plus lots of older devices)	It's not available in China. Great, either the government blocks Google pages in China or Google blocks certain pages from being viewed in China. You can't win.

05-17-2013, 03:50 PM	#21
Namekuseijin affordable chipmunk Posts: 1,290 Karma: 9863855 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brazil Device: Sony XPeria ZL, Kindle Paperwhite	BTW, does anyone notice a lag when turning pages? Is it my impression that you basically download a page again each time? Hating the clouds!

05-17-2013, 10:11 PM	#24
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,759 Karma: 30063305 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	Google is a service provider mostly I hope this leads to Google introducing an api for developers of reader apps to download, view, sync and buy from Google books as well as pay commissions on ebook purchased through those apps. Currently with so many apps having so many different stores the Android ebook market is extremely fragmented this would make google a force in the ebook world. And might even force Amazon at least to introduce an api for other apps other than kindle to buy, read and sync kindle ebooks.

05-19-2013, 02:03 PM	#25
Arbait Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 673502 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: enTourage pocket eDGe,Pyrus mini, NOOK HD+, KAO, S6, S8, KP4, Note 10+	I'm in Belgium: "Sorry! Books on Google Play is not available in your country yet. We're working to bring the content you love to more countries as quickly as possible. Please check back again soon."

05-20-2013, 11:24 PM	#30
taosaur intelligent posterior Posts: 1,562 Karma: 21295618 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohiopolis Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Samsung S8, Lenovo Tab 3 Pro	I've been using GPB for Android as my main reader since the update, despite all its shortcomings compared to Mantano, Aldiko or Moon+. I initially uploaded my then-current read just to test-drive the app, and found it subpar in all but one area: the server-side text-to-speech enabled by ticking off the "high quality voice" setting. I had been reading the Foreigner series as both audiobooks and text, "whispersync" style, but only had audio for the first half of the series. The exotic names and alien languages would render the text all but incomprehensible through most TTS engines, and Google has it's hiccups, too, but the pronunciations are fluid and consistent enough to follow even when they aren't correct. I've used both Android and Windows TTS for novels before, and Google's server-side offering isn't revolutionary, but it's noticeably better. Getting it started is glitchy; often going to menu>read aloud has no effect and I have to back out of the book to the library page, then come back. The app's main annoyance when actually reading on my Nook HD+ is the kludgy brightness control, requiring three steps just to get there and then adjusting in too-large increments. The convenience of keeping my place while switching between audio and text, however, trumps the poor interface. It handles the core functions just fine: display text, turn pages. If I'm reading an EPUB for which I do have an audiobook or listening to a different audiobook than what I'm reading as text (which is most often the case), I'll stick with Mantano. For my current scenario, GPB is a great TTS app and an adequate ereader.

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