Yesterday Google launched their new eBook service called, simply, Google eBookstore.
Google is taking a swipe directly at other eBook sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, with one crucial difference—eBooks purchased from Google’s store will be available on any device.
When you buy an eBook from Google, it stays “in the cloud,” just like GMail and Google Docs. That means that in order to read your eBooks all you need to do is log in to your Google account and you have access to your library. If you’re going to be without an internet connection for a length of time (such as on a flight,) you can download the book onto any device with the Google Books app. Apps are currently available for iPhone, iPad, and Android. You can also download your books in ePub format for readers such as Sony eReader and Nook. Last but not least, you can always read them in any web browser.
If you want to test it out yourself, head on over to books.google.com. When you first download the Google Books app, you have access to three free books: Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.
I took a quick jaunt through Google’s eBook library and it looks pretty solid. Of course, our book is available on there too!
Competition in the eBook market is sure to become more and more fierce over the coming year as eBook sales continue to increase with the prevalence of mobile devices and eBook readers.