Google working on e-book retail platform - Page 2

nekokami · 01-22-2007, 11:32 AM

75% of hardcover??? There's someone who needs a reality check.

NatCh · 01-22-2007, 02:22 PM

There are a few (less than a dozen, I think) Tor books on the Baen Webscriptions site. I don't know what that might mean, though.

Liviu_5 · 01-22-2007, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

There are a few (less than a dozen, I think) Tor books on the Baen Webscriptions site. I don't know what that might mean, though.

Except for the latest (OAR by David Weber), you cannot buy any of them, just download those you have bought in the short period the Tor deal was available (I bought 2 and Webscriptions guarantees they will always be available for download).

Unfortunately TOR (or whomever, Holtzbrinck...) seems to subscribe to the point of view that e-books are competitors for p-books, so they require similar pricing, hence OAR priced at 18$ is about 70% of the 26$ hc price, and myself and others expressed our dismay in the Baen Bar that Baen/Webscriptions played along with that. Now, being a book by Mr. Weber, it can be regarded as a special case, though I am still dissapointed that at least they did not offer it as an e-arc when I would gladly have paid 18$ for the privilege of reading several months in advance...As an aside I easily got a print arc of OAR on Ebay for 14$ total price about 2-3 months prior to publication, and only the seller and USPS benefited...

Ultimately that is the crux of the matter, how you regard e-books vs p-books, competitors or helpers, and drm to a large extent clouds the issue since an 18$ e-novel drm-free is still way too expensive unless you get something extra (bundle of books, e-arc so you read it several months in advance...)

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-22-2007, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liviu_5

Now, being a book by Mr. Weber, it can be regarded as a special case...

Special case?!? Man, I wouldn't pay $18 for an e-book if Isaac Asimov resurrected himself specifically to write Foundation and God...

NatCh · 01-22-2007, 10:30 PM

Ack. Now I'm in a delimma. I want OAR as an e-text (and was much disgusted when I realized it wasn't a Baen offering), and I was excited to see it on webscriptions (after Liviu_5 pointed it out -- it either wasn't there or I missed it last I looked), but $18? I'm not sure about that. I may have to think about it a bit before I jump for that price point.

TadW · 01-23-2007, 05:31 AM

Businessweek has an interesting follow-up:

Quote:

Google cautions that it's far from revealing details of such a service. "It is something that we have been talking about for quite a while," says Google spokeswoman Megan Lamb. "But we haven't announced what an online access program would entail."

Quote:

A big issue to be resolved is which publishers will sign on. Among publishers discussing digital books with Google is Simon & Schuster, which is also talking with other distributors, such as Sony (SNE). Simon & Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg declined to discuss whether the company was committed to Google's service, saying, "any discussion of our involvement is a bit premature." Publishers already involved in Google's Book Search service, such as Oxford University Press, are also reportedly involved in discussions.

WaxMan · 01-23-2007, 08:31 AM

I have been using an Online subscription e-library for a little while now, http://www.safaribooksonline.com/ and http://search.safaribooksonline.com/. While having access to such a huge repository of books is fantastic and worth every penny (subscription is not to much). I do quite miss a download option, in fact so much so that a DRM'd book limited to say a month would be a godsend.

To be honest any DRM when related to a subscription service is more than acceptable. Of course it becomes an issue when you purchase a copy.

If google aim for a library focused solution (subscription)I do hope they include a downloadable version. It seems peculiar that a proven business model even if it very narrow in focus has not been copied by any others yet, perhaps google may manage this, lets all hope that in doing so they are able to increase the market for offline readers and not only focus at existing desktop / online technology.

RWood · 01-23-2007, 11:31 AM

Does Google do anything that does not require a connection to the net? The more I think about this the more I see trends that require a network connection. A prime example would be Google Earth. Sure the application lives on your machine but all the real data is on their server. No connection, no map.

igorsk · 01-23-2007, 11:49 AM

Google Desktop Search sorta can work offline.

branko · 01-23-2007, 03:30 PM

I contacted Google, but in three e-mails from them they managed to convey absolutely no information. As I wrote at Teleread:

Quote:

Google is not about to offer bestsellers for download as e-books. According to Google spokesperson Jessica Powell, the search giant are "planning to introduce a tool that will help [publishers] sell online access to their titles for viewing on the Internet."

In an e-mail, Powell stresses that the new tool is about "online access, which is very different from a download model," but she is unwilling to go into further detail at this point in time because "this is a project still in development".

NatCh · 01-23-2007, 03:33 PM

Well, I s'pose this could work with an iLiad, if they can get the browser thing sorted out....

nekokami · 01-23-2007, 03:44 PM

Maybe on mobiles. Bleah.

TadW · 01-24-2007, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by branko

I contacted Google, but in three e-mails from them they managed to convey absolutely no information. As I wrote at Teleread:

Google is very specific in how they want to present the books, and I posted this already a couple of posts earlier. Here is the important quote from Google (emphasis mine):

Quote:

The book will be available to users only through their browser, and only when they've signed in with their personal account. Users cannot save a copy on their computer or copy pages from the book.

From here: http://books.google.com/support/part...4596&topic=326

Liviu_5 · 01-24-2007, 09:39 AM

[QUOTE=TadW]Google is very specific in how they want to present the books, and I posted this already a couple of posts earlier. QUOTE]

That part with cannot copy is nonsense since you can always snag anything displayed on your pc. Also most of the time you can fiddle with the cache and get the web pages from there. If they let you print, you can print to file or pdf....

There are many ways of going around stupid restrictions, the big question is pricing and what they intend this service to be for. If it's to access a cookbook recipe or a manual page, it may work at reasonable prices, if it's to read longer works like novels it's going to fizzle out.

01-22-2007, 11:32 AM	#16
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	75% of hardcover??? There's someone who needs a reality check. Last edited by nekokami; 01-22-2007 at 11:32 AM. Reason: brackets

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01-22-2007, 02:22 PM	#17
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	There are a few (less than a dozen, I think) Tor books on the Baen Webscriptions site. I don't know what that might mean, though.

01-22-2007, 10:30 PM	#20
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Ack. Now I'm in a delimma. I want OAR as an e-text (and was much disgusted when I realized it wasn't a Baen offering), and I was excited to see it on webscriptions (after Liviu_5 pointed it out -- it either wasn't there or I missed it last I looked), but $18? I'm not sure about that. I may have to think about it a bit before I jump for that price point.

01-23-2007, 08:31 AM	#22
WaxMan Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: none yet...	I have been using an Online subscription e-library for a little while now, http://www.safaribooksonline.com/ and http://search.safaribooksonline.com/. While having access to such a huge repository of books is fantastic and worth every penny (subscription is not to much). I do quite miss a download option, in fact so much so that a DRM'd book limited to say a month would be a godsend. To be honest any DRM when related to a subscription service is more than acceptable. Of course it becomes an issue when you purchase a copy. If google aim for a library focused solution (subscription)I do hope they include a downloadable version. It seems peculiar that a proven business model even if it very narrow in focus has not been copied by any others yet, perhaps google may manage this, lets all hope that in doing so they are able to increase the market for offline readers and not only focus at existing desktop / online technology.

01-23-2007, 11:31 AM	#23
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Does Google do anything that does not require a connection to the net? The more I think about this the more I see trends that require a network connection. A prime example would be Google Earth. Sure the application lives on your machine but all the real data is on their server. No connection, no map.

01-23-2007, 11:49 AM	#24
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Google Desktop Search sorta can work offline.

01-23-2007, 03:33 PM	#26
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Well, I s'pose this could work with an iLiad, if they can get the browser thing sorted out....

01-23-2007, 03:44 PM	#27
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Maybe on mobiles. Bleah.

01-24-2007, 09:39 AM	#29
Liviu_5 Books and more books Posts: 917 Karma: 69499 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: White Plains, NY, USA Device: Nook Color, Itouch, Nokia770, Sony 650, Sony 700(dead), Ebk(given)	[QUOTE=TadW]Google is very specific in how they want to present the books, and I posted this already a couple of posts earlier. QUOTE] That part with cannot copy is nonsense since you can always snag anything displayed on your pc. Also most of the time you can fiddle with the cache and get the web pages from there. If they let you print, you can print to file or pdf.... There are many ways of going around stupid restrictions, the big question is pricing and what they intend this service to be for. If it's to access a cookbook recipe or a manual page, it may work at reasonable prices, if it's to read longer works like novels it's going to fizzle out.