Google planning to offer “cloud” eBooks through Google Editions
Google is planning to launch what it’s calling a “buy anywhere, read anywhere”digital books program called Google Editions. The launch is scheduled for the first half of 2010.
The books can be purchased from any computing device, and then read on any other device. This gets around one of the major problems and criticisms of the Sony eBook Reader & the Amazon Kindle — digital rights management that limits the download vs. access on different devices. Another nice feature is that once you access a book on a device, it’s cached and therefore you can read offline as well. Nice!
Now, if only Google could come up with an alternative to iTunes using the same access model, they would truly (and I do mean truly) rule the world of computing and digital content.
If you want to read more, Teleread and Engadget have good commentaries on Google Editions’ effect on eBooks.
But I think you’ll be happy with most programs. Look at the...
October 16th, 2009 at 11:12 am
“Buy anywhere, read anywhere” is a good model. I assume that means single-user access to/ownership of a single file, and moving the file from device to device as needed/desired, rather than having multiple copies?
October 16th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
my understanding is that the copy is in the cloud, and whenever you access it on a device it gets downloaded/cached as described. i don’t think it’s a model where you have to move that single copy around (deleting it from the previous device before moving it to the new one). that would suck. but it does seem to be single-user access probably tied to your Google account…which I suppose means that someone else could access your files if you wanted to give them your log-in.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
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