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Sony Reader Gets Half-a-Million Google eBooks
Techtree News Staff, Mar 19, 2009 1646 hrs ISTChallenges Amazon Kindle
Sony has struck a deal with Google to make half-a-million copyright-free ebooks available on Sony Reader, a significant step by Sony to outdo rival Amazon's offerings through Kindle. Currently, Amazon's library offers 250,000 titles for Kindle, the eBook reader.
Kindle's momentum in growth will suffer due to the Sony-Google deal. Google had started scanning books from 2004. To date, about seven million ebooks from major universities and libraries have been scanned already. Sony Reader owners had access to books written before the year 1923, and now more titles will flow from Google's library.
Google has also been working to digitize the books in an open electronic publishing format called .epub, to make widely compatible content. This means that any digital reader can easily read and display the contents packed in .epub files. For content publishers, copy protection of their content is crucial.
Adobe had bootstrapped .epub support in their new Adobe Reader Mobile SDK, launched at the GSM Mobile World Congress 2009. Lexcycle developers, who created the Stanza ebook reader app for iPhone, will also be using a new software engine to copy protect eBooks in their libraries.
Now users will have the option to enjoy ebooks available in .epub format on different devices, from a variety of content publishers. Interoperability of hardware or software is one thing they need not worry about.
As the ebook reader war between Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader goes on, it cannot be forgotten that both have their set of limitations. Comparatively cheaper than Kindle, Sony Reader lacks wireless connectivity to connect the device directly to an ebook store.
Kindle's momentum in growth will suffer due to the Sony-Google deal. Google had started scanning books from 2004. To date, about seven million ebooks from major universities and libraries have been scanned already. Sony Reader owners had access to books written before the year 1923, and now more titles will flow from Google's library.
Google has also been working to digitize the books in an open electronic publishing format called .epub, to make widely compatible content. This means that any digital reader can easily read and display the contents packed in .epub files. For content publishers, copy protection of their content is crucial.
Adobe had bootstrapped .epub support in their new Adobe Reader Mobile SDK, launched at the GSM Mobile World Congress 2009. Lexcycle developers, who created the Stanza ebook reader app for iPhone, will also be using a new software engine to copy protect eBooks in their libraries.
Now users will have the option to enjoy ebooks available in .epub format on different devices, from a variety of content publishers. Interoperability of hardware or software is one thing they need not worry about.
As the ebook reader war between Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader goes on, it cannot be forgotten that both have their set of limitations. Comparatively cheaper than Kindle, Sony Reader lacks wireless connectivity to connect the device directly to an ebook store.
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Marcel
,Ormond beach, on Mar 19, 2009 09:18 PM
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