But a missing piece of copyright protection software for Pocket PC handheld computers could hinder the store's success, at least in the early stages.
The announcement of the partnership with publishers Simon and Schuster, Time Warner Inc. (twx) and retailer Barnesandnoble.com (bnbn) coincided with the release of the final version of Microsoft (msft) Reader for Windows PCs, with which PC users will be able to read downloaded e-books.
While the Microsoft Reader for PCs is available for download today from Microsoft's Web site, it may be some time before the Microsoft Reader for the Pocket PC platform is updated so that it supports all of the e-books from some 30 publishers, announced as part of today's event in New York.
"The Pocket PC uses a protection system that's more primitive (than the desktop version of Microsoft Reader)," said Dick Brass, vice president for technology development at Microsoft. "Later this year or early next year we will fix this."
What Microsoft is calling Version 1.0 of its reader, now shipping on the Pocket PC, is missing support for security needed to view certain e-books.
As a result, not all e-books will be initially available to owners of Pocket PCs, the people that analysts say are the most likely consumers to first visit the new e-book "store."
While the desktop version of Microsoft Reader will offer a full set of features and support for full security, the Pocket PC version does not.
Brass said that the company will likely issue an entire new version of its Pocket PC reader, as opposed to issuing a patch to the current reader.
The Microsoft Reader that has shipped on Pocket PC-based handhelds since their introduction in April is, in fact, a prototype, Microsoft officials acknowledged last week.
"Anyone who bought a Pocket PC with the intention of reading e-books on it is totally screwed," said a source in the electronic book industry, which asked for anonymity.
It may not be quite that bad. But potential e-book purchasers with Pocket PC-based handhelds will be out of luck when it comes to reading books with higher levels of security until Microsoft issues its fix.
That is because Microsoft officials told ZDNet News that Reader has three different levels of copyright protection: one to authenticate a document and prohibit users from altering the content; another that labels a book with its owner's name; and a third that prohibits anyone but the owner from viewing the book.
Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC lacks support for the final level of copyright protection.
This means that e-book novels, which use the maximum amount of security, will not be readable on Pocket PC-based handhelds until Microsoft delivers its update or a new version of the reader.
According to Jeff Alger, product manager at Microsoft, Reader for Pocket PCs is the version that has existed since January. The omission of the third level of security on the Pocket PC platform was caused by a scheduling conflict.
The Pocket PC platform had to go out before the Microsoft Reader, with its three levels of protection, was available.
Alger could not say when the final level of protection would be available for the reader on Pocket PC-based handhelds. The reader runs in ROM, which makes the upgrade complicated.
He also stressed the significance of the Pocket PC for the overall success of the Microsoft Reader.
"We realize that the Pocket PC is one of the first places users will use the reader and we're working very hard on a fix," Alger said.
Adam Rotherberg, spokesperson for Simon and Schuster, did not seem so worried.
"We're not as concerned about this because of the small share that Pocket PCs have, but when we got into this business, we knew that things could change very rapidly," Rotherberg said.
Tuesday's announcement will be the first such e-book store for Microsoft, though Barnesandnoble.com has been offering free e-books for Pocket PC handhelds for some time.
Published reports Monday said the e-book store would allow consumers to purchase and download e-books as well as electronically purchase books that are then printed out.
Tuesday's announcement will be the first such e-books content-distribution deal for Microsoft, but other similar agreements are expected later this year.
Additional reporting by Mary Jo Foley, ZDNet News executive news editor. On Tuesday, Microsoft Corp. and a group of publishing heavyweights announced a small step for technology -- the creation of a new online electronic bookstore -- that they hope will be a giant leap forward in the advancement of electronic books.
But a missing piece of copyright protection software for Pocket PC handheld computers could hinder the store's success, at least in the early stages.
The announcement of the partnership with publishers Simon and Schuster, Time Warner Inc. (twx) and retailer Barnesandnoble.com (bnbn) coincided with the release of the final version of Microsoft (msft) Reader for Windows PCs, with which PC users will be able to read downloaded e-books.
While the Microsoft Reader for PCs is available for download today from Microsoft's Web site, it may be some time before the Microsoft Reader for the Pocket PC platform is updated so that it supports all of the e-books from some 30 publishers, announced as part of today's event in New York.
"The Pocket PC uses a protection system that's more primitive (than the desktop version of Microsoft Reader)," said Dick Brass, vice president for technology development at Microsoft. "Later this year or early next year we will fix this."
What Microsoft is calling Version 1.0 of its reader, now shipping on the Pocket PC, is missing support for security needed to view certain e-books.
As a result, not all e-books will be initially available to owners of Pocket PCs, the people that analysts say are the most likely consumers to first visit the new e-book "store."
While the desktop version of Microsoft Reader will offer a full set of features and support for full security, the Pocket PC version does not.
Brass said that the company will likely issue an entire new version of its Pocket PC reader, as opposed to issuing a patch to the current reader.
The Microsoft Reader that has shipped on Pocket PC-based handhelds since their introduction in April is, in fact, a prototype, Microsoft officials acknowledged last week.
"Anyone who bought a Pocket PC with the intention of reading e-books on it is totally screwed," said a source in the electronic book industry, which asked for anonymity.
It may not be quite that bad. But potential e-book purchasers with Pocket PC-based handhelds will be out of luck when it comes to reading books with higher levels of security until Microsoft issues its fix.
That is because Microsoft officials told ZDNet News that Reader has three different levels of copyright protection: one to authenticate a document and prohibit users from altering the content; another that labels a book with its owner's name; and a third that prohibits anyone but the owner from viewing the book.
Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC lacks support for the final level of copyright protection.
This means that e-book novels, which use the maximum amount of security, will not be readable on Pocket PC-based handhelds until Microsoft delivers its update or a new version of the reader.
According to Jeff Alger, product manager at Microsoft, Reader for Pocket PCs is the version that has existed since January. The omission of the third level of security on the Pocket PC platform was caused by a scheduling conflict.
The Pocket PC platform had to go out before the Microsoft Reader, with its three levels of protection, was available.
Alger could not say when the final level of protection would be available for the reader on Pocket PC-based handhelds. The reader runs in ROM, which makes the upgrade complicated.
He also stressed the significance of the Pocket PC for the overall success of the Microsoft Reader.
"We realize that the Pocket PC is one of the first places users will use the reader and we're working very hard on a fix," Alger said.
Adam Rotherberg, spokesperson for Simon and Schuster, did not seem so worried.
"We're not as concerned about this because of the small share that Pocket PCs have, but when we got into this business, we knew that things could change very rapidly," Rotherberg said.
Tuesday's announcement will be the first such e-book store for Microsoft, though Barnesandnoble.com has been offering free e-books for Pocket PC handhelds for some time.
Published reports Monday said the e-book store would allow consumers to purchase and download e-books as well as electronically purchase books that are then printed out.
Tuesday's announcement will be the first such e-books content-distribution deal for Microsoft, but other similar agreements are expected later this year.
Additional reporting by Mary Jo Foley, ZDNet News executive news editor.
