Google prepares to launch its own digital bookstore this summer

Filed under: Business, Web services, Google

Since everyone and their mother is in the e-book business now, it makes sense that Google would jump in with its own digital book offering. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google's bookstore could go live as early as next month. The service, called Google Editions, plans to make its books compatible with as many operating systems and devices as possible.

There's definitely a niche for an open bookstore, with Amazon focusing on its own Kindle software and hardware and Apple pushing the iPad. To make Google Editions a success, Google just needs to finalize deals with publishers and make sure it can compete with existing bookstores when it comes to selection and pricing. Publishers say this represents a test of whether e-books will save the book business once they're searchable, instant, and platform-independent.

What do you think? Should Amazon and Apple be worried?

Google prepares to launch its own digital bookstore this summer originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 05 May 2010 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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