Sony and Google’s tag-team tactics might not hurt Amazon and its Kindle reader, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. For who, exactly, we’re not so sure. Sony announced a bit ago that Google has opened up more than half-a-million of its books to Sony’s eReader. The catch? All of Google’s archived books are about as old as your granddad, if your granddad were 80-years-old.
The addition of Google’s archive of books brings the number of available titles to Sony’s eReader at around 600,000. Amazon offers roughly 240,000 titles at the moment, but these include recent works and almost all of the New York Times bestsellers. Both Sony eReader models are cheaper than the Kindle at $300 (PRS-505) and $350 (PRS-700), respectively, but they lack WhisperNet for instant downloads among other notable features. On the flip side, Google announced that they plan to make the over 1.5 million public domain books available for mobile phones, which includes the iPhone and G1.
via AP
I am sure new books have a bigger market attraction but Google’s offering is definitely meatier for readers. This makes someone like me, who tends to read older and more academic works to wherever Google offers them although I’d still honestly prefer to use the Kindle.
Don’t understate the value of the classics. See http://w.tEarn.com to see the active Twitter chat about hundreds of these works and authors.
It’s not just the current authors who book readers talk about. There is more conversation around the past greats. FYI.
Just look at the design of the Sony and compare it to the Kindle.. no competition. Until Amazon hire a product designer to actually design the kindle as an object, it’s old books for me!
Ok but what prevents Amazon and Google putting together a similar agreement for the Kindle and envelope Sony’s offering with new and old content. Can Google do that?
I think it is a tough battle for Sony to play only as a reading gadget. In Amazon versus Sony, Amazon owns the content, the momentum and the public recognition of authors and readers as a marketplace for selling and buying blockbusters and all the long tail of books.
if you want a good laugh at Sony’s expense, check this out: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/93143?utm_source=embedded_video
You know what? I feel quite pissed that products like this do come out… The power of the search for profits…
I so prefer reading a book cozily, without worrying battery life, slowly flipping through nice textured pages…
I’m never gonna buy a kindle or this junk… NEVER!!!
While I respect your opinion, keep in mind that millions of people read books on electronic devices. You may not desire to own a 250g ebook, but that does not mean they are “junk.”
For me, being able to carry my entire library (2000+ titles) with me, in a device that only needs to be charged once a month, is definitely worth the trade-off of losing that tactile feel and musty scent.
[Owner of a Sony PRS-505]
i own a sony ebook, but i still actively trade paperbacks thru paperbackswap, and sometimes will buy them from a used bookstore or flea market or whatever, or if i think i’m going to mark them up a lot i’ll definitely buy a hard copy. i also live in nyc, where the ebook is super convenient to just slip in my bag, it barely weighs anything and takes up next to no room, and i can hold it with one hand. so if i’m on the subway and didn’t get a seat, i can hold on to a railing with one hand, and read don quixote with my one free hand. there’s no way that could be done without my ebook. also, i’d rather not be carrying around a 1000 page book.
oh we also have to think about how now this technology, in the case of this article, all of a sudden makes it possible for hundreds if not thousands of books that are no longer in print, and don’t have enough demand for another printing to become accessible to the public. if you do some searching on amazon’s website, you’ll find books that are selling for 70 dollars or more that are out of print, or you can buy the kindle version for 12 dollars.
i think ebooks are pretty great, although not for everyone, nor are they necessary for everyone to own.
I wouldn’t label 80 year-old books as being “a catch”, like it’s a bad thing. There was some pretty good stuff written back then, too, y’know…
I think it’s great, Andrew. I can’t wait to access those oldies on my iPhone and G1. I just hope I can access them offline, but I highly doubt that.
I see an increasing rise in the number of people option for digital-book reading but I still don’t get the feel of a hard copy in a digital ebook reader.
With this step, Google is surely going places with its huge book archive.
I meant to say opting* in place of option
The E Book Market is heading in the right direction, All that is needed is some innovation, Amazon Kindle software and Google Books on Android could make Android the Ebook Platform , why another device to read books?
Ebooks are the future. I prefer read books with kindke and Sonny ebooks.
Given the economic environment, I think having this many FREE book so easily available, may put pressure on total new book sales.
True readers will read anything, old books too :).
Considering that the Kindle’s whispernet is only available in the U.S. this is good news for those of us in other countries…
Another source for ebooks, both free and purchase is Baen books, http://www.baen.com/, for Sci-Fi. They have listened to readers and offer multiple formats for 1 purchase.
It look great!
However, I prefer to read for a real one.
I feel more comfortable with it and I read only one book at a time.
This may be useful in the other circumstance but not me. :)
Did any of you know that the recaptcha’s created by Luis Von Ahn are actually doing something useful like digitizing books that can be included in a such a service as this.
Try the best homepage
Many classic books have been available for the Kindle, Sony reader and many other e-book readers from http://manybooks.net. It is nice that Google and Sony have finally caught up with the rest of us.
Does anyone know if there is a way to download magazines and newspapers with the SONY E READER?
I hear that for some of the sony e-readers there is a lot of glare, while the Kindle 2 remains glareless. I got a Kindle 2 from here to test it out and it’s awesome: http://www.computersncs.com/rd_p?p=191614&t=9544&a=27619-skindle&gift=27619