Bookworms rejoice: a new Ebook reader for the GNOME desktop is in development.
The app (tentatively titled GNOME Books, because of course) is being developed as part of Google Summer of Code 2014 (GSoC).
The goal is re-use the GNOME Documents codebase to create a new app that lets users browse, search and read eBooks on the desktop.
Integration with online ebook stores is also on the table, so users can purchase fresh content (as ‘free ebooks’ efforts typically offer older literature long out of copyright).
Is there a need for such an? Arguably, there is.
The popularity of ebooks is growing thanks to hardware like the Amazon Kindle, Nook and the prevalence of tablets and smartphones for reading. Providing a way to read ebooks on the desktop plugs a gap.
Of course, there are already several apps for reading ebooks on Linux. The best known is Calibre, a veritable ‘Swiss Army knife’ that can open, edit, convert, export, sync and even read ebooks aloud!
Calibre’s UI is a bit wild, though. Powerful it may be, it favours function over form. GNOME Books will tread a path more like the Kindle: essential features only, and a UI that doesn’t require reading a tome to make sense of how to use it.
It will offer 3 distinct ‘modes’:
- overview mode providing a list of books available
- preview mode for reading books
- store mode for browsing and buying new ones
Updates on this burgeoning new application, along with discussions and debate on the design and direction, will be shared by its developer, Marta Milaković, throughout this year’s Google Summer of Code.
For now, you can read Marta’s announcement post for more ‘exposition’ on the what and why.