What can you use the application for?
Google Book Search or books.google.com is a book search engine created by Google. It’s just like the Google web search, but instead of searching for websites you can search for books. You can search for anything using the site and the search will turn up all the related books to your chosen search terms. Google has made it their mission to scan every single book on the planet into their book search so that you can read books without leaving the comfort of your own home. A lot of the books are scanned, however this does depend on the copyright restrictions. If the author has permitted them, or if the book is out of copyright then you will either be able to read part of the book, or the whole thing on the internet.
What is the history and popularity of the application?
Anything that Google does is huge and instantly becomes very popular. They have been the leading internet search engine for quite some time now and are a very respected internet business. This means that this book search engine became popular overnight. There are lots of people that use this to track down books that they might use. When the service was first launched it was known as Google Print and was centered much more on making books available online. It has been rebranded a number of times the service originally started in 2004.
What are the differences to other applications?
Book search is not a new idea; in fact if you visit your library then you will probably find a computer that you can use to search the books in the library. So why is everyone making such a big deal about Google Book Search? Well this is because it makes searching for books exactly the same as searching for websites. It also lets you find out where you can borrow or buy it from without having to leave your home.
How does the application look and feel to use?
Using books.google.com is very easy; if you can use a web search engine then you won’t have any problem searching for books using this method. It’s much less confusing than many of the other book search techniques at your library. Being able to view many books in PDF makes it much easier than having to find where the book is on the shelf. If the book is only available as a preview or not at all then Google still shows you where you can buy the books from.
How does the registration process work?
It’s possible to search for books without having an account, however if you want to create a list of books that you already own or have read then you need to sign up. By creating a library of your own you will then be able to review and rate the books so that other people can read your reviews and decide whether they want to read the book or not.
What does it cost to use the application?
Like most other Google services it’s completely free, they make their money from advertisements in a similar way to the main Google search engine. They must also make a commission for every book sale.
Who would you recommend the application to?
Google Book Search is a fantastic application for anyone that’s looking for a way to quickly search through books. It’s perfect for college and university students who don’t have enough time to spend in the library searching for books only to find out that they have already been taken out. This system makes it really easy to find the books you want without touring round various shops and libraries.
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