Google has launched its ebook section at its online store Google Play for users in India. With this, India’s avid reders will now be able to buy and download ebooks from the Google Play store, which boasts of a collection of more than 4 million titles right now. With this, Google has also made available the Play Books app, which is compatible with both Android and iOS. Users can download the app on their tablets or smartphones running Android or iOS and start reading. Google has a separate app for reading e-magazines, something that it isn’t available in India as yet. Meanwhile, books downloaded from the Google Play Store can also be read via any third party ebook reading app, you just transfer the books to your computer using the Adobe Digital Editions Desktop Reader. Keep in mind, an active internet connection is required for reading the ebooks since they are stored in the cloud.
Also, understandably, the ebook section has been re-organized to include ebooks by local authors. However, ebooks on the Google Play Store have been found to cost a bit more than elsewhere. Google is up against Flipkart, Amazon, and others that also sell ebooks in the country, with Amazon having set up shop just about 6 months back. Interestingly, some of the popular titles are missing altogether from India’s Google Play Store, notably the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
