I was disappointed when Google launched the ebookstore back in December 2010. The iOS app suffered early-stage errors, but most of all the store was only available in the United States.
There is, however, a single feature that makes the Google reading ecosystem extremely useful for non-English users like me: instant translation.
When Google Play Books launched in Poland, I was finally able to test the ebookstore. Having in mind that Google recently added the ability to upload own ebooks, the service was definitely worth exploring.
A feature to easily translate words is something I was missing in the Kindle platform. I was determined to simplify the process, and created a workaround to translate words in the Kindle iOS app, using Google look-up as a tool. It needed a couple of taps, as well as some words to type, so it was not perfect.
On the contrary, getting a translation in Google Play Books, works like a charm. You can tap on a word, or even select a passage, and tap on Translate in the pop-up window. You’ll set up language-to-language translation flow and you’re ready to read even the most difficult book.
What’s more, the translation works both in the mobile apps (iOS, Android) and in a web browser. The latter one may become a rather handy way to work with foreign language documents.
Some people are fine with a dictionary, but getting a meaning is not enough for me. I want to know the closest Polish translation to the English word. Google Translate is getting better and better every day, and the translations don’t disappoint, like it was a few years earlier.
The translation tool, together with the simplicity of the Google ebook platform, convinced me to convert some of the Kindle books to epub, and upload them to my library on Google Play Books.
I can imagine that, with instant translation inside books, some day language may no longer be a first-step factor in book-buying process.
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