14 DAY TRIAL // Google's long-planned e-book store is finally becoming a reality and will launch by the end of the year. Google Editions was supposed to launch in 2009, but has seen several delays. All the deals are now ready and Editions will be available with several hundreds of thousands of titles for sale and offer millions more for free.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google Editions will be launched in the US this year and in other regions in early 2011. Pricing and the catalogue is expected to be similar to existing players like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, though the major difference is that all the titles will be available through a web browser rather than on dedicated devices or apps.
Google has been talking about its own e-book store for quite a while now, as an extension of its existing Google Books program. However, while the initial launch date was set for June 2009, it suffered several setbacks.
Most likely, the hurdles were in getting publishers on board. Many are satisfied with their existing partners and didn't feel the need to sign another one, especially one which came so late to the game.
The fact that Google insisted on keeping everything in the browser, with the inherent advantages and disadvantages of this approach, may have spooked others. Still, for small and independent publishers, it may be a welcomed move.
Google Editions will be accessible via any device with a web browser. This means that people won't be locked to a particular device and will be able to access their books anywhere, any time.
However, they will not actually own the books and they will be dependent on internet access. Of course, Amazon Kindle users don't actually own their e-books either since Amazon can decide to remove them from the devices at will.
Whether Google Editions can make any headway in an already crowded market remains to be seen, but it could prove an interesting alternative to the existing offers.