Google’s e-bookstore is now available in the United Kingdom. In addition to its primary offerings, Google has partnered with independent booksellers like Gardners’ Hive and Blackwell’s, so U.K customers can buy books through those stores.
Google’s e-book format is widely compatible, available on Android and Apple devices, Sony, Kobo and Elonex e-readers, as well as through the Web. They’re stored in the cloud, so you can pick up where you left off on any device. You won’t find native support for your Kindle or your Nook, though.
Google has its work cut out for it in e-books. After last week’s high-profile launch of the Kindle Fire tablet and new e-ink Kindles, all of which are aggressively priced, Amazon is trying to get its e-readers into as many hands as possible. Barnes & Noble is also expected to update its Nook Color soon. These two leading e-book sellers want to dominate the marketplace by making their reading devices ubiquitous.
To stay in the game, Google is going the other way. Google Books are available in EPUB format, which is is the most open and compatible standard. The Google Books reader is available as a native app for Android and iOS. Google books can also be downloaded as PDF, which can then be moved to a Kindle, but with less control over the content.
Read more about today’s U.K. launch on the Inside Google Books blog.
Where do you buy your e-books, and what devices do you read on?
