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The Short History of eBooks

  • Ted Nelson creates the concept of hypertext

    Ted Nelson creates the concept of hypertext
  • Period: to

    A Short History of eBooks

  • Word "Hypertext" first appears in print

    Word "Hypertext" first appears in print
  • Project Gutenberg is founded

    Project Gutenberg is founded
  • Lauch of Apple/Mcintosh's weekly electronic magazine, TidBITS

    Lauch of Apple/Mcintosh's weekly electronic magazine, TidBITS
  • "Afternoon", first electronic novel

    "Afternoon", first electronic novel
  • PDF 1.0 format announced at Fall Comdex

    PDF 1.0 format announced at Fall Comdex
  • Tools to create and view Acrobat PDF-files released

    Tools to create and view Acrobat PDF-files released
  • Pioneering erotic publisher New Concepts Publishing launches

    Pioneering erotic publisher New Concepts Publishing launches
  • Apple Developer News #60 mentions ebooks are available for the Apple Newton

    Apple Developer News #60 mentions ebooks are available for the Apple Newton
  • Pioneering ePublishing company - Hard Shell Word Factory - launches

    Pioneering ePublishing company - Hard Shell Word Factory - launches
  • Wired article about ebooks from RocketBook and SoftBook

    Wired article about ebooks from RocketBook and SoftBook
  • Awe-Struck Publishing launches

    Awe-Struck Publishing launches
  • OeBF (Open eBook Forum) was created.

    OeBF (Open eBook Forum) was created.
    IDPF
    <p> OeBF (Open eBook Forum) was created. Now called International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF).
  • Mobipocket SA incorporates in France

    Mobipocket SA incorporates in France
  • March 2000: Stephen King— “Riding the Bullet” Within 2 days, over 400K downloads! Estimated sales: Over 1M digital copies sold.

    March 2000: Stephen King— “Riding the Bullet”   Within 2 days, over 400K downloads!    Estimated sales:  Over  1M digital copies sold.
  • April 2000: AOL Time Warner’s iPublish opens

    April 2000: AOL Time Warner’s iPublish opens
  • Launch of Fictionwise.com

    Launch of Fictionwise.com
  • Gemstar launch the Rocket Book and the SoftBook

    Gemstar launch the Rocket Book and the SoftBook
  • 2000: BN.com launches eBook store. Closes 9/2003

    2000:  BN.com launches eBook store.   Closes 9/2003
    B&N
  • Sept 2000: Anderson Consulting [now Accenture] conducted a study for the US. publishing industry and predicted that by 2005 e-books would account for $2.3bn in annual sales or about 10% of print sales.

    Sept 2000:   Anderson Consulting [now Accenture] 	conducted a study for the US. publishing industry and 	predicted that by 2005 e-books would account for $2.3bn in annual sales or about 10% of print sales.
    Sept 2000: Anderson Consulting [now Accenture] conducted a study for the US. publishing industry and predicted that by 2005 e-books would account for $2.3bn in annual sales or about 10% of print sales.
  • Dec 2001: iPublish closes.

    Dec 2001: iPublish closes.
  • June 2003: Gemstar closes eBook store.

    June 2003:  Gemstar closes eBook store.
  • Sept 2003: BN.com closes eBook store.

    Sept 2003: BN.com closes eBook store.
  • Google Print Library Project Launched

    Google Print Library Project Launched
    Google Books Library
    <p> Google announces a joint venture with major libraries to scan books. It is later renamed Google Book Search.
  • April 2005: Amazon buys Mobipocket.com.

    April 2005: Amazon buys Mobipocket.com.
  • Amazon Drops Lightning Source / Ingram for their eBook Distribution

    Article Amazon drops Lightning Source / Ingram. Amazon doesn't sell eBooks again until they launch Kindle in 2007.
  • Aug, 30th 2006: Google Book Search launches

    Aug, 30th 2006:  Google Book Search launches
  • Oct 2006: AAP sues Google

    Oct 2006: AAP sues Google
  • Oct 2006: Sony Launches

  • JISC National e-Book Observatory (NeBO) project started

    JISC National e-Book Observatory (NeBO) project started
  • Steve Jobs thoughts on eBooks:

    Steve Jobs thoughts on eBooks:
    Jan 2007: Steve Jobs thoughts on eBooks:
    “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.” (NYT 1/15/2007)
  • Sept 2007: Harlequin announces that all frontlist titles will be released as eBooks (~150 titles per month)

    Sept 2007: Harlequin announces that all frontlist titles will be released as eBooks (~150 titles per month)
  • Sept 2007: IDPF’s ePub launches. Hachette is first to use in Jan ’08.

    Sept 2007: IDPF’s ePub launches.  Hachette is first to use in Jan ’08.
  • Nov 2007: Amazon’s Kindle Launches

    Nov 2007: Amazon’s Kindle Launches
  • Fictionwise acquired the eReader business unit of Motricity, Inc

    Fictionwise acquired the eReader business unit of Motricity, Inc
  • Google announces a joint venture with major libraries to scan books. It it later renamed Google Book Search.

    Google can show up to 20% of a text online for free and make the entire book available online for a fee. Books in the public domain are available in their entirety for free.
  • Kobo Launches

    Kobo Launches
  • Fictionwise was acquired by Barnes & Noble on March 5, 2009, for $15.7 million in cash (plus the potential for earn-outs)

    Fictionwise was acquired by Barnes & Noble on March 5, 2009, for $15.7 million in cash (plus the potential for earn-outs)
  • BN.com launches their own eBookstore.

    BN.com launches their own eBookstore.
  • JISC National e-Book Observatory (NeBO) report comes out

    JISC National e-Book Observatory (NeBO) report comes out
  • iPad was announced on January 27, 2010 by Steve Jobs at an Apple press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

    iPad was announced on January 27, 2010 by Steve Jobs at an Apple press conference at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
  • First Day of the Agency Model for eBook Retailers

    First Day of the Agency Model for eBook Retailers
    A5
  • iPad released.

    iPad released.
  • Harlequin's Digital Press Carina Launches

    Harlequin's Digital Press Carina Launches
  • iRex Illiad is scrapped.

    iRex Illiad is scrapped.
  • Hearst's SKIFF is Scrapped . . .

    Hearst's SKIFF is Scrapped . . .
    Bikini Girls with eReaders but their publishing platform is sold to News Corp.
  • Apple reports they have sold 3 million iPads in the 80 days after launch.

    Apple reports they have sold 3 million iPads in the 80 days after launch.
  • BN / Amazon drastically cut prices on nook and Kindle

    BN / Amazon drastically cut prices on nook and Kindle
    Duel in Apple's Shadow
    <p>
    Hours after Barnes & Noble's price cut on Nook and announcement of a new lower-priced wi-fi model yesterday, Amazon announced a price reduction of its own. They lowered the price on the regular model of Kindle from $269 to $189, effective immediately.
  • Plastic Logic Que E-Reader Scrapped

    Plastic Logic Que E-Reader Scrapped
    Bikini Girls with eReaders
    <p> Plastic Logic cancelled all backorders on their long-hyped oversized Que reader. The company is calling it a "delay" and tells Wired it "wants to make sure that the product they deliver is the right one for their target business customers in the rapidly changing marketplace. They are continuing to refine the product, technology and features, and are anxious to get in the marketplace as soon as possible."
  • 70 Percent Royalty Option for Kindle Digital Text Platform Now Available

    70 Percent Royalty Option for Kindle Digital Text Platform Now Available
    70% Digital Option
    <p>
    Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that the 70 percent royalty option that enables authors and publishers who use the Kindle Digital Text Platform (DTP) to earn a larger share of revenue from each Kindle book they sell is now available.
  • Borders launches its own Kobo-powered e-book store

    Borders launches its own Kobo-powered e-book store
  • Super Kindle DX launches

    Super Kindle DX launches
    DX launch
    <p> The new model is priced at $379 (compared to $479 for the original model), and is said to have "an all new, high contrast electronic ink display with 50 percent better contrast."