REDMOND, Wash., May 31, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that more than 30 book publishers have participated in a production launch program for Microsoft® Reader with ClearType™
display technology, ensuring the availability of over 800 of their books for Microsoft Reader when it launches later this summer. The launch publishers’ eBooks will be offered for sale in barnesandnoble.com llc’s ( http://www.bn.com/ ) upcoming eBookstore for Microsoft Reader.
The production launch program offered publishers, Microsoft and other key industry partners an early opportunity to test the functionality of Microsoft Reader and its conversion and production tools. The book titles made into eBooks through the program cover a broad range of subjects, from contemporary fiction to self-help, travel and other nonfiction books.
“Publishers in our production launch program have been essential to the success of the Microsoft eBook group,”
said Jeff Alger, group program manager of eBooks at Microsoft.
“We have been able to develop production scenarios and a wide range of layout and content requirements that could only have been possible by working with books in print that are now being widely distributed, rather than public domain works that are already available in electronic formats. We want to thank all the launch publishers in the program for their contributions. They have been instrumental in helping us learn about the broad range of issues that arise in bringing paper books into the world of eBooks.”
All books available for sale at the launch of the barnesandnoble.com eBookstore will run on Microsoft’s new Reader software. This product showcases ClearType display technology, a Microsoft innovation that greatly improves the clarity of text displayed on Windows® -based PC and Pocket PC devices. In addition to incorporating ClearType, Microsoft Reader adheres to the traditions and benefits of fine typography by providing an uncluttered display; ample margins; full justification; proper spacing, leading and kerning; and powerful tools for book-marking, highlighting and annotation.
For the participating publishers, the prospect of seeing their books among the first to appear in Reader format, both on PCs and on Pocket PC devices, was an attractive means of opening up new markets for their books.
“This is an exciting time to be in publishing. New technologies like Microsoft Reader and the emergence of eBookstores are enabling publishers to reach more readers, and the University Press of Florida is proud to participate in this exciting and groundbreaking program,”
said Lynn Werts, associate director for the University Press of Florida.
Other publishers expressed certainty that their current customers will be among the first to adopt the new technology.
“AMACOM is pleased to be one of the publishers making its books available electronically through Microsoft’s eBook publisher launch,”
said Rosemary Kane Carlough, vice president of Intellectual Property and Web Strategy at the AMACOM Publishing Division of the American Management Association.
“In this new century, many of our new customers will be reading chapters and whole books in digital rather than printed form. AMACOM’s goal is to make our books available to customers around the globe in as many formats as possible. Our participation in this program helps us achieve this goal and is critical to our continued growth.”
“Butterworth-Heinemann is pleased to be at the cutting edge of eBook delivery with Microsoft,”
said Philip Shaw, managing director of Butterworth-Heinemann.
“We believe our customers, technology and business professionals will be among the first adopters of this innovative way to access our information.”
Other publishers were equally enthusiastic about the ability of Microsoft Reader to attract new readers to their titles.
“We simply like people reading and enjoying our books and are delighted at the prospect of this exciting new form of the book,”
said Peter Cannell, director of Smithsonian Institution Press.
“Whatever their interest, we think readers will find something of interest among our many offerings here.”
“As the largest provider of healthy, active living information in the country, Rodale is pleased to be a part of Microsoft Reader’s launch,”
said Susan Massey, publisher at Rodale Press.
“As those of us who value the written word continue to seek a broader audience for our books, the promise of this new technology, and the new readers we will reach, is an exciting opportunity.”
Publishers participating in the launch program are AMACOM Books, Artech House Publishers, Blackwell Publishers, Brookings Institution Press, Butterworth-Heinemann, Cambridge University Press, Columbia University Press, Estuary Technologies Ltd., Franklin Covey, Greenwood Publishing Group Inc., Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. (Gold Eagle imprint), Health Communications Inc., Hunter Publishing Inc., ibooks Inc., IDG Books Worldwide Inc., McClelland & Stewart Inc., Microsoft Press, The MIT Press, National Academy Press, Open University Press, Perseus Books Group (Westview Press and PublicAffairs imprints), Rodale
Press, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Shambhala Publications, Smithsonian Institution Press, Storytellers Ink, Time Warner Trade Publishing, University of Washington Press, University Press of Florida, Washington State University Press and Yale University Press.
Retail prices for the individual titles included in the production launch program for Microsoft Reader were not announced.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software –
any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, ClearType and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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