Google has updated its Google Play Books iOS app following its keynote address at Google I/O this morning, adding support for user uploaded PDF and ePub files.
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Google Play, the world's largest eBook collection, just got bigger. Now, you can upload your own files to Google Play Books to access on Android, iOS, and the web. Whether you're a student with a backpack full of PDF printouts or an avid reader with hundreds of pages held captive on your computer, relieve your back and start adding files today!
After uploading your files, you can enjoy reading them with all the nice features available: bookmarks, highlights and notes, dictionary and more. What's more, your reading progress, highlights etc are synced to the cloud, so if you have multiple devices, you can easily pick up reading anywhere!
The Google Play Books app has also been redesigned to add a Read Now section, featuring books that have been recently purchased, upload, or read. This update also brings both stability and performance improvements.
Apple has long supported the ability to upload both ePub and PDF files through iTunes so the new version of the Google Play Books app brings it up to speed with iBooks.
Google Play Books is a universal app that can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
Top Rated Comments
Does anyone have a good reason why one should buy a book from the Apple bookstore as opposed to Amazon or Google to give an example? Perhaps I am missing something. Hopefully this will make Apple wake up and provide more value to their customers.
If you purchase eBook on let's say a work computer, but your iTunes is on your home computer Mac. What would be the easiest more secure way (besides emailing it) to transfer back home? Voila, uploading it to the cloud.
Why not just redownload it when you get home? So long as the two computers both are connected to the same iTunes account, there's no problem here.
If the ebook in question is from another source, then, I would agree that Apple could make it a little easier to get it into iBooks, such as clicking on an ePub file in an email. But I don't see the need for a "cloud" solution.
I, personally, prefer iBooks for reading, for a number of reasons. However, I get many of my books in ePub format from other sources. Not having much in the way of non-iDevices, the lack of such support doesn't effect me that much. However, I am one who supports the idea of Apple creating broader support for more platforms with iBooks.
When would Apple allow reading iBooks from any platform, i.e. through a browser? Perhaps through iCloud website. This is ridiculous. Amazon and Google are much better value for your book dollars, as you can read the material in many more platforms than iBooks.
I read a lot of technical books. Thus, I can usually get better deals on eBooks directly from publisher's website than Apple, Google, or Amazon. Furthermore, Apple uses the EPub format which works great for iDevices. However, Amazon only sells the Kindle format if you're talking about eBooks. Last but not least, why in world would I want to upload the eBooks that I have purchased?Does anyone have a good reason why one should buy a book from the Apple bookstore as opposed to Amazon or Google to give an example? Perhaps I am missing something. Hopefully this will make Apple wake up and provide more value to their customers.