Comments on: Google doubles book-scan publisher partners, has no plans for e-book reader http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:38:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jane http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-931198 Jane Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:52:43 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/#comment-931198 HP also announced it was going to do a touchscreen phone. HP also announced it was going to do a touchscreen phone.

]]> By: Garson O'Toole http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-931187 Garson O'Toole Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:31:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/#comment-931187 Richard Herley mentions Google's focus on software, and Robert Nagle brings up Android. Google may not itself build an e-book hardware device, but its library of scanned books and maybe its software could become important. The author of the <a HREF="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/INSIDE-MOBILE-Why-eBooks-and-eBook-Readers-Will-Eventually-Succeed/" rel="nofollow">eWeek article</A>, “Why Ebooks and Ebook Readers Will Eventually Succeed“ that was linked on this blog earlier thinks that Google Android will be important for e-books. He discusses the need for a “great (natural) user interface” and says:<blockquote>Apple doesn’t need to distribute a user’s manual for the iPhone. You just pick it up, turn it on and it works the way you expect it to work. That’s the kind of UI that will be in our future eBook readers. Could it be based on the Apple iPhone operating system? Sure. But, most likely, it will be more of an open standard. And if I were betting, it would more likely be based on Android than the iPhone.</blockquote>Of course the iPhone and iPod Touch can support open e-book standards. For example, the Stanza application can read multiple formats including epub and html as well as proprietary standards Mobipocket and Microsoft LIT (without DRM). I think that the full success of cell phones as e-book readers hinges on larger displays. In fact multi-screen displays with concealed hinges would be great. Richard Herley mentions Google’s focus on software, and Robert Nagle brings up Android. Google may not itself build an e-book hardware device, but its library of scanned books and maybe its software could become important. The author of the eWeek article, “Why Ebooks and Ebook Readers Will Eventually Succeed“ that was linked on this blog earlier thinks that Google Android will be important for e-books. He discusses the need for a “great (natural) user interface” and says:
Apple doesn’t need to distribute a user’s manual for the iPhone. You just pick it up, turn it on and it works the way you expect it to work. That’s the kind of UI that will be in our future eBook readers. Could it be based on the Apple iPhone operating system? Sure. But, most likely, it will be more of an open standard. And if I were betting, it would more likely be based on Android than the iPhone.

Of course the iPhone and iPod Touch can support open e-book standards. For example, the Stanza application can read multiple formats including epub and html as well as proprietary standards Mobipocket and Microsoft LIT (without DRM).

I think that the full success of cell phones as e-book readers hinges on larger displays. In fact multi-screen displays with concealed hinges would be great.

]]> By: Robert Nagle http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-931177 Robert Nagle Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:13:06 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/#comment-931177 In other news, Tmobile announces its new android phone. Time will tell if any reading software will appear for that platform. In other news, Tmobile announces its new android phone. Time will tell if any reading software will appear for that platform.

]]> By: Richard Herley http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-931159 Richard Herley Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:31:25 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/#comment-931159 Rumours of an entry-level Google PC came to nothing, and everything they do seems focused on software rather than hardware. I'd be very surprised if Google produced their own device, though you never can tell. At their present rate of expansion, "Google Earth" soon won't just refer to their mapping service, but to the planet itself! Rumours of an entry-level Google PC came to nothing, and everything they do seems focused on software rather than hardware. I’d be very surprised if Google produced their own device, though you never can tell. At their present rate of expansion, “Google Earth” soon won’t just refer to their mapping service, but to the planet itself!

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.org/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/comment-page-1/#comment-931091 Paul Biba Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:48:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/16/google-doubles-book-scan-publisher-partners-has-no-plans-for-e-book-reader/#comment-931091 Welcome back!! Welcome back!!

]]>