Google Book Vending Machines

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Saskatoonistan

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http://tinyurl.com/l8ujp8
Google Inc. is giving 2 million books in its digital library a chance to be reincarnated as paperbacks. As part of a deal announced Thursday, Google is opening up part of its index to the maker of a high-speed publishing machine that can manufacture a paperback-bound book of about 300 pages in under five minutes. The new service is an acknowledgment by the Internet search leader that not everyone wants their books served up on a computer or an electronic reader like those made by Amazon.com Inc. and Sony Inc.


Millions more titles could be added to On Demand's virtual inventory if Google gets federal court approval of a class-action settlement that would grant it the right to sell copyrighted books no longer being published. Google estimates it already has made digital copies of about 6 million out-of-print books.
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They're starting by printing books that are no longer protected by copyright - thoughts?
 
Cyia

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Sounds like that "Espresso" binding machine.

I could see this working well for English Lit required reading material.
 
icerose

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Saskatoonistan said:
http://tinyurl.com/l8ujp8




They're starting by printing books that are no longer protected by copyright - thoughts?
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I have no problem with them selling books that are no longer protected by copyright. I do have a problem with them selling books that are protected by copyright without going personally to the author first and working up a publishing contract with set royalties and so forth.
 
Ken

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... from a reader's perspective it sounds good. Many books I enjoy are long since out of print, though I still rather doubt that Google will elect to reprint those, e.g. ones by Jean Craighead George from the 1940s and 50s. So I'll postpone verdict till I see a list of titles.
 
sommemi

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Ken said:
... from a reader's perspective it sounds good. Many books I enjoy are long since out of print, though I still rather doubt that Google will elect to reprint those, e.g. ones by Jean Craighead George from the 1940s and 50s. So I'll postpone verdict till I see a list of titles.
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I agree. I'll wait until I see what's on their 'list'. I do think it's nice that they are acknowledging people who prefer 'paper' to screen though. Call me traditional, but there's just something about picking up words and flipping those pages and feeling the breeze on my face when the words fly by... the anticipation of it all....

OH! And the AWESOME bookmarks!!!!

ohhhhhhh..... *starts to drool slightly and eyes glaze over as she reminisces about her childhood obsession with homemade bookmarks...*
 
DeleyanLee

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I was wondering when this would finally happen. I've been hearing about such things for about 10 years now.

I think it's a great option for those who don't want to bother with dealing with screens.

Sure is going to bite for bookstores if it catches on, though. Great for the book buyer, though.
 

Deleted member 42

Cyia said:
Sounds like that "Espresso" binding machine.

I could see this working well for English Lit required reading material.
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I can't. It sounds like these are straight dumps of raw scans with the text as an image of a library book--with all that entails. Margin notes, smudges, and coffee stains. . . And public domain likely means very much not up to date in terms of introductions, notes, etc.

And these will be standard priced POD books, around 15.00 to 20.00.
 

Deleted member 42

Ken said:
... from a reader's perspective it sounds good. Many books I enjoy are long since out of print, though I still rather doubt that Google will elect to reprint those, e.g. ones by Jean Craighead George from the 1940s and 50s. So I'll postpone verdict till I see a list of titles.
Click to expand...

Out of print is not out of copyright though.
 
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