Money Matters, Simplified.
Google's online bookstore to face stiff competition from Amazon & Apple
by Ayurdhi Dhar - October 17, 2009 - comments
Amazon's e-book reader Kindle is hard to topple, even by a company like Google.
Frankfurt, Germany, October 17--Google’s next product is not threat to Microsoft, as it usually happens to be. This time they have targeted the business of Amazon online bookstore, and are going to launch their own in 2010, called Google Editions.
Though the announcement has created waves in the e-book market, it will take Google more that a name to prove to be of any discomfort to Amazon. The latter company has formed a formidable reputation in the market, thanks to their popular e-book reader Kindle.
Garter analyst Alan Weiner has said that Google Editions has left too many questions unanswered. They lack experience in the field of selling media, and might not prove to be efficient in providing e-books through web browsers.
Threat to Amazon, really?
Even though a Google product is always to threat to be acknowledged by its rivals, according to Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps, Amazon’s market share will remain stable since for many people, Kindle is a word which is synonymous with e-book readers.
Toppling such a well established monopoly would not prove to be easy. Also, Google is focusing on their product being compatible by all web browsers, but the new international version of Kindle does not even need a browser. It is thus apt for fixed devices that do not have web browsers.
According to Weiner, "The browser is not standard issue with every e-book reader." He also added "If Google does (offer books through browsers) it will certainly not be standard issue. Offering a book through a browser is great in theory, but there needs to be an ecosystem behind it."
Competing with Apple
There would also be stiff competition from the computer giant Apple, who are rumored to join the e-book market around 2010, by launching their tablet. It is undoubtedly expected from Apple, that their browser will be superior to any other in the market around the time of its launch.
Apple could be end of Google Editions as it can sell e-books through iTunes. Apart from that, they could also provide an application that does not need a browser, just like they already do in iPod Touch.
Weiner has said that the publisher he has spoken to loathe getting involved with Google, and "Not even Google, with all of its superpowers can compete with the iTunes/iPod/iPhone culture."
Google and Apple are already in stiff competition with regard to smartphones, mobile application, and soon operating systems would join the list.
The company boasts of providing about 50,000 electronic books, accessible to any device which has a web browser. This would include Pcs, smartphones, and laptops. Readers have been given the freedom to make the purchase directly from Google, either through Google checkout, credit cards, or from other online stores like Amazon and BarnesandNoble.