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Download Google Books For Offline Reading In Google Chrome

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Google has finally made offline eBook reading available via their Chrome web app. Now users can save the books for offline reading right in the browser and not have to worry about having an Internet connection in order to access them.

For some reason it’s taking Google a really long time to get their act together with making their apps and services available offline. This surprises me only because earlier this year the company was heavily pushing their Chromebooks with Chrome OS on board, which are only useful when there’s an Internet connection.

Chromebooks are the most likely benefactors of this particular feature since there are plenty of ways to download a Google eBook for offline reading on one’s computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Google Books Chrome App - Offline Availability

Image Credit: Liliputing

It’s a welcome addition, but I can’t help but feel like the company should spend more time making Google Docs offline-friendly. Perhaps this is a precursor to that.

Other than the ability to search for and read Google Books, the app isn’t very notable. It has some basic eReading functionality, such as changing the font and searching within a book, but nothing fancy like bookmarks or notes. If it had some more features I might say that this had potential for students.

Overall, I feel like Google’s foray into eBooks is half-hearted at best. The lack of functionality in their apps, both for Chrome and for Android, doesn’t make them worth using over Nook or Kindle. Earlier this year they partnered with iRiver to bring an eReader to market, but it wasn’t so impressive.

Anyway, if you’re a Google Books user, the Chrome app’s new functionality is potentially useful, at least.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Steve

    12/22/2011 at 2:05 pm

    Name any other company making great books readable online or offline for free!

    • K. T. Bradford

      12/22/2011 at 3:41 pm

      Nook, Kindle, and Kobo. Next question.

    • Lawrence Spak

      12/24/2011 at 4:44 am

      Henceforce the problem dear Watson.  If be that our fellow e-publishers partake of distributing free tea and crumpets, then whom may I question will dare “purchase” said offerings. If treated to free treats, only free treats shall you ever partake upon yourself. Upon further delve, did I beholden that the free tea was boring and the crumpets were stale. As such be laid out in layman terms for the factory folk, “THE FREE e-BOOK STUFF IS AMATEUR. ONCE YOU GIVE A MAN FREE STEAK, HE WILL NEVER PAY FOR STEAK!

  2. Lawrence Spak

    12/23/2011 at 7:54 pm

    As an author/illustrator: myself and fellow authors and artists are concerned about people not complying with copyright law.  Many of us are very talented and write/paint for a living. Digital publishing is protected by DRM, to keep the digital product only in the hands of the “PAYING CUSTOMERS”…we don’t want the same problem that musicians face with their stuff passed around free as soon as it is released. Printed paper copies are difficult to “Bootleg”…now with e-books, another dilemma is facing us.  I recently pulled all my “digital products” from SMASHWORDS because they “rely on the customers” to respect copyright laws.  Let me sell you a bridge in New York!…When I upload to kdp/amazon.com…..they ask if I want protection…you should have taught your daughter that..LOL…..as soon as I feel my stuff is in DANGER, I’ll pull it!!!!  Amazon doesn’t want all the professional Authors going back to paper.books..Their Kindle would then be a paperweight (no pun intended)…they are now bribing Authors to publish “ONLY” at kdp/amazon.com. by paying out $500,000 a month in the SELECT Program…I is already IN!!!!  

    • K. T. Bradford

      12/29/2011 at 10:24 am

      what does this have to do with the topic at hand? Or do you just post this same thing to every post about eBooks?

      • Lawrence Spak

        01/01/2012 at 5:02 pm

        suchi mi dique, morron

  3. video clip orasul mai tare

    05/13/2012 at 3:10 pm

    Wonderful paintings! This is the kind of info that should be shared around the internet. Shame on Google for now not positioning this put up higher! Come on over and seek advice from my website . Thank you =)

  4. dhiyanesh

    11/22/2013 at 6:41 pm

    i want to make offline this below book:
    https://books.google.co.in/books?id=5XappvcENCMC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

    Is that possible?

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