Sony Partners With Google To Bring More Than 500,000 Books To The Reader

[alexxxm]

Originally Posted by alexxxm

same here (Italy). Even though I just re-installed the Sony library, it says "Not authorized for the ebook store".
Maybe somebody knows if there's a way to unlock it?


alessandro

don't worry about it - I'm an idiot.
Always using calibre, I'm not so apt to the Sony Library interface.
I discovered that I had to <first> select the "eBook store" on the left, <then> register my account (never did it before!) - lying about my location, and <last> to find out on the eBook store page the hidden icon "unearth a classic".

Now, if just kovid would add it to calibre...

I can confirm that some scan errors are present, but being used to the books illegally downloaded from IRC, I'm used to it.

It's a real pleasure to find some gems like "A Selection of Curious Articles from the Gentleman's Magazine" (1811).
It really seems to me that Sony and Amazon are not battling for the same ground, the Reader and the Kindle are becoming two devices used very differently. Mainly DRM and contemporary works on one side, mainly open content and a treasure of public domain works on the other.

I found it also beautiful to have the digital text preceded by some scanned pages showing the graphics of the cover and the library stamps, it gives you some flavour of the book paper if you will...


alessandro

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mjh215

When I first started reading I thought perhaps Google was doing a clean OCR of their files for this project, apparently they are just importing the original OCR'd text they've been using which as others have pointed out is often quite horrid. That really is too bad as I think they are the one company capable of doing a good job at it...

-MJ

It still gives one a starting point from which to create a nice "cleaned-up" text; that's the important thing.

[dragonbone]

Originally Posted by alexxxm

don't worry about it - I'm an idiot.
Always using calibre, I'm not so apt to the Sony Library interface.
I discovered that I had to <first> select the "eBook store" on the left, <then> register my account (never did it before!) - lying about my location, and <last> to find out on the eBook store page the hidden icon "unearth a classic".

Now, if just kovid would add it to calibre...

I found it also beautiful to have the digital text preceded by some scanned pages showing the graphics of the cover and the library stamps, it gives you some flavour of the book paper if you will...


alessandro

Good for you!

[Pablo]

Is the Ebook Library Software the only way to download an e-book from Google?

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Is the Ebook Library Software the only way to download an e-book from Google?

No: http://books.google.com/

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

(sigh)

I wish I could be happier about this announcement, but the fact is, that they are using the unproofed and uncorrected Google OCR material does not make me happy. Sony especially should be concerned enough about their rep to want to offer only the best material... and giving the public texts that look like they were typed by flying monkeys on acid is no way to do that.

If their source material was any better, I'd consider collecting and reading from their library, too. But when you risk running into words, sentences and entire sections that are unreadable, and can potentially alter the meaning of entire portions of a book, I don't consider it worth the trouble.

Somebody call me when they've gone and corrected that material. Until then: Pass.

[dragonbone]

Originally Posted by alexxxm

don't worry about it - I'm an idiot.
Always using calibre, I'm not so apt to the Sony Library interface.
I discovered that I had to <first> select the "eBook store" on the left, <then> register my account (never did it before!) - lying about my location, and <last> to find out on the eBook store page the hidden icon "unearth a classic".

haha I missed that funny line first time about 'unearthing a classic'.
Yes, it is very 'hidden'! Stingy buggers! Whoops, sorry!

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

(sigh)

I wish I could be happier about this announcement, but the fact is, that they are using the unproofed and uncorrected Google OCR material does not make me happy. Sony especially should be concerned enough about their rep to want to offer only the best material... and giving the public texts that look like they were typed by flying monkeys on acid is no way to do that.

If their source material was any better, I'd consider collecting and reading from their library, too. But when you risk running into words, sentences and entire sections that are unreadable, and can potentially alter the meaning of entire portions of a book, I don't consider it worth the trouble.

Somebody call me when they've gone and corrected that material. Until then: Pass.

I agree with you 99%. My 1% exception, which is not in disagreement, but in partial acceptance of the poor quality, is this:

I was very excited when I first read the OP. I immediately downloaded a book published in 1813 that I’ve wanted for years. Although I found many mistakes due to the rendering of the OCR software, I nonetheless was thrilled that I had a copy to read on my Reader. Until now I could only read it on my computer screen because of Google Book’s previous PDF format (which was actually individual jpg pages that wouldn’t render on the Reader.) Acquiring a hard copy was not even an option. This is an obscure book of memoirs of one of my ancestors, therefore would never become a mainstream electronic book of interest to the masses. There are many other obscure books of this nature which would never be considered classics in the accepted sense, yet are precious reads to me, poor formatting, warts and all. I, for one, happily accept these offerings as they currently exist, while at the same time hope that these books will be cleaned up and more readily readable in the near future.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

But it's still a bunch of Public Domain books. Until Sony can up their contemporary content, I'm not sure the current balance of power is in jeopardy. Great for schools though.

Daffy, you are largely correct, but I think this will be the turning point -- not so much for Sony as for us consumers.

The real value is not the particular books being made available; rather the real value is that Google is making them available in DRM-free ePub. Google's adoption of ePub as the format gives a tremendous boost to ePub and its viability as the single standard. Consider the great number of European publishers who are adopting ePub as the standard for their books, and the slowly coming to it American publishers, and ePub is getting ready to rock-and-roll .

That Google's books are DRM-free is also a plus, because it adds a 10-ton gorilla to the free-books-from-DRM-prison movement.

Of course, there is one other important point: Google intends to make all books ultimately available through Google Books. Partnering with Sony and choosing the open ePub format means that ultimately we will have access to the world's treasures. Even if it means that our access is limited to a chapter or two without paying, that will be a great boon to those who advocate a more open access to ebooks.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Daffy, you are largely correct, but I think this will be the turning point -- not so much for Sony as for us consumers.

The real value is not the particular books being made available; rather the real value is that Google is making them available in DRM-free ePub. Google's adoption of ePub as the format gives a tremendous boost to ePub and its viability as the single standard. Consider the great number of European publishers who are adopting ePub as the standard for their books, and the slowly coming to it American publishers, and ePub is getting ready to rock-and-roll .

That Google's books are DRM-free is also a plus, because it adds a 10-ton gorilla to the free-books-from-DRM-prison movement.

Of course, their is one other important point: Google intends to make all books ultimately available through Google Books. Partnering with Sony and choosing the open ePub format means that ultimately we will have access to the world's treasures. Even if it means that our access is limited to a chapter or two without paying, that will be a great boon to those who advocate a more open access to ebooks.

excellent points ! i completely agree and i'm very happy to see that this step was taken in the right direction (drm-free epub). i'm very excited about seeing epub rock and roll, and thrilled that it's now got some real heavyweights behind it to help it get there faster.

[vivaldirules]

[idle musing]

This may not be a momentous event but when you add this to last year's new hardware from Sony, the ability to read epub and reflowed DRM-laden pdfs, and the apparent recent surge in titles that Sony is making available in their proprietary format, I'm rather pleased and surprised at the way ebooks are moving at Sony. And when you add those events to the recent release of the Kindle 2, news that sales of readers is high, all the other new devices that are becoming available including some with color, ipods becoming a readily usable reading platform, etc. - I'm simply amazed at what's going on. What will happen tomorrow?

[/idle musing]

[Tattncat]

Originally Posted by daffy4u

That *will* be a big deal if Google gets into books which are not in the public domain (as I pretty much said in my post). I just don't believe PD books are a big draw for the average reader. I have no evidence to back this, just my feeling (opinion).

PD books are a big draw for me. And I say...... "Yipee!". And I'm off to the Sony sight.

PS That Sony mission statement is primarily why I have purchased two Sonys and no Kindles.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

[idle musing]

This may not be a momentous event but when you add this to last year's new hardware from Sony, the ability to read epub and reflowed DRM-laden pdfs, and the apparent recent surge in titles that Sony is making available in their proprietary format, I'm rather pleased and surprised at the way ebooks are moving at Sony. And when you add those events to the recent release of the Kindle 2, news that sales of readers is high, all the other new devices that are becoming available including some with color, ipods becoming a readily usable reading platform, etc. - I'm simply amazed at what's going on. What will happen tomorrow?

[/idle musing]

Very wise, puppy.

[igorsk]

One of the points mentioned in various articles was that Sony has sold 400,000 Readers. Considering that the number was 300,000 only in December that's a very promising trend.

[bwaldron]

Originally Posted by rhadin

The real value is not the particular books being made available; rather the real value is that Google is making them available in DRM-free ePub. Google's adoption of ePub as the format gives a tremendous boost to ePub and its viability as the single standard.

Yes, but providing a bunch of shoddily OCR'd books is not the best way to "showcase" a format. I do hope it furthers the spread of ePub, though.