The important point here is not that this is beta or the fact that it's in AJAX, but the fact that Amazon is starting to provide books on-line in a way that protects copyrights. It seems that book publishers might jump on the band wagon and work through Amazon to provide books that are out of print or are unlikely to get wide viewership. This is also a great new publishing option for self-published books and new authors... So yes it's in AJAX, and on the front page, but it still is an important development. Dugg.
ummm you are wrong. amazon wont put an entire book up on their site.... they scan a few pages to pique interest so you buy the book. google wants to put entire books up... big difference in my mind. Amazon has been doing this for a while in pdf!? Now amazon might have a plan to sell books in an online format... if this is the case and i dont know about - then i would retract my cynical comments and apologize.
While a good marketing ploy, I'm not convinced this is the way to read any print material. The whole tactile experience of thumbing through pages, accidentally coming across something you skipped beofre, and being able to move your reading material easily is lost here. There's also the limitation imposed by screen technology. Call me an old grumudgeonly gen Xer, but I prefer my reading material from bleached wood pulp.
fireflyMay 25, 2006
The important point here is not that this is beta or the fact that it's in AJAX, but the fact that Amazon is starting to provide books on-line in a way that protects copyrights. It seems that book publishers might jump on the band wagon and work through Amazon to provide books that are out of print or are unlikely to get wide viewership. This is also a great new publishing option for self-published books and new authors... So yes it's in AJAX, and on the front page, but it still is an important development. Dugg.
jagmattMay 25, 2006
ummm you are wrong. amazon wont put an entire book up on their site.... they scan a few pages to pique interest so you buy the book. google wants to put entire books up... big difference in my mind. Amazon has been doing this for a while in pdf!? Now amazon might have a plan to sell books in an online format... if this is the case and i dont know about - then i would retract my cynical comments and apologize.
proginoskesMay 25, 2006
Uhm, looks like a nifty app. Probably should have been done with "Ajax" techniques, yes, but do we need "Ajax" in the title of the Digg item?
Closed AccountMay 25, 2006
me like.
f00nastyMay 25, 2006
While a good marketing ploy, I'm not convinced this is the way to read any print material. The whole tactile experience of thumbing through pages, accidentally coming across something you skipped beofre, and being able to move your reading material easily is lost here. There's also the limitation imposed by screen technology. Call me an old grumudgeonly gen Xer, but I prefer my reading material from bleached wood pulp.