Google eBookstore - why?... and coupon code?

[Jay3fer]

Just noticed Google has finally, at long last, opened their eBookstore. Doesn't look that unusual to me. Not exactly convinced yet... is there any difference between this and other stores that sell ebooks?

Also, does anyone know of any "opening special" coupon codes? (because that just MIGHT be a reason to shop there!)

[cloversandlions]

Yep, there is. I've found at least a couple of books that are available as ebooks on Google's ebookstore, but that are not available on Amazon (I don't check B&N because I don't shop there, and I don't have a Nook) or iBook, such as Gilgamesh the Hero, by Geraldine McCaughrean - Google has it here. It seems to be available in both places now, but a few months ago, Swallows and Amazons was only available as an ebook in Google's store. The Sandwalk Adventures: An Adventure in Evolution Told in Five Chapters is not available in electronic format on Amazon, but it is on Google. Same goes for Clan Apis. Also, both are cheaper in Google's ebook format than the paper books on Amazon.

 

If a book has pictures or images at all, I like to get samples from both stores - sometimes, the format of one is a bit different than the other, although this probably affects older books more than newer ones. Occasionally, a book is available for free on Google, but not on Amazon, or vice versa. (Of course, sometimes it's worth paying a dollar or two if the formatting is noticeably better in a paid version.) An example would be (some of) the older primers/readers (Treadwell is one of the authors, IIRC) - some were free on Google, but not Amazon, and others were free at Amazon but not Google.

 

Another thing I like is that the Google reader app has more text options - for picture books, you can view each page as it would be in the book (scanned page - although newer books don't *look* scanned, with the lines and such) or you can view it as "flowing text", which means you can modify the font to, say, a sans serif. It sort of isn't so great WRT pictures (and the page doesn't appear as it would in a book) - sometimes the pictures a'\re where they should be, but not other times - but if you want to change the font for whatever reason, I like that it's an option. Occasionally, there is a price difference between the stores, though not often.

 

They've been open for awhile - several months at least - and if there are coupon codes out there, I don't know about them, though I'd be happy to have them as there are a few books I want to get from them. :)