Adobe announces important ereading software - Digital Editions 1.0

Adobe has announced the release of an important new software application - Digital Editions 1.0 - specifically for acquiring, managing and reading eBooks, digital newspapers, and other digital publications. Available as a free download (Win and Mac). Adobe Digital Editions transforms the digital reading experience and offers new creative possibilities for publishers. Leading publishers, online retailers and channel partners have announced their support for Adobe Digital Editions and creating content is very cost- and time-efficient using Adobe’s sensational new InDesign CS3 software (review coming shortly). In addition, with versions for mobile platforms and reading devices also planned, Sony has committed to embed the technology into its most-likely-to-succeed portable reader product line.

“Adobe Digital Editions will revolutionize how publishers deliver eBooks and other digital content and how consumers experience it,” said Rob Tarkoff, senior vice president, Corporate Development at Adobe. “The combination of Adobe Digital Editions, InDesign CS3 and a new generation of hardware from innovators like Sony shows that digital publishing is front and center for content owners – and millions of readers who are looking forward to innovations in the delivery of their favorite works.”

“We’re excited to work with Adobe to pioneer new applications for eBooks and other digital documents,” said Ron Hawkins, vice president of portable reader systems marketing at Sony Electronics, Inc. “This collaboration will give us the opportunity to expand our offerings to a larger audience and new markets, allowing individual consumers, businesses, and other customers to take advantage of the portability and ease of use of Sony’s Reader products with a wider spectrum of content.”

With native support for Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and XML-based publications, Adobe Digital Editions already works seamlessly with more than 150,000 commercially published titles. Using Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 readers will find that content automatically re-flows, adapting to different screen sizes and support for Adobe Flash software promises to enhance digital publications through the integration of rich audio and video.

Features and Enhancements

The public beta of Adobe Digital Editions generated more than 300,000 downloads in less than six months and user feedback influenced the feature set. Adobe Digital Editions now enables users to annotate content through bookmarks, highlights and text notes. The library view offers advanced organization with multiple bookshelves. A slick new user interface enhances zooming and the overall reading experience, while support for the new IDPF Open Publication Standard (OPS) for XHTML-based re-flowable eBooks, guarantees a seamless viewing experience.

The Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 download is less than 3MB and leverages Adobe Flash Player technology to enable quick installation as part of the content download. The integration with Adobe Acrobat 8 and Adobe Reader 8 applications allows users to install and launch Adobe Digital Editions automatically within these industry standard products.

Optional Content Protection

Adobe Digital Editions works in conjunction with Adobe Digital Editions Protection Technology (ADEPT), a new, hosted content protection service to guard publisher’s rights while maintaining superior ease-of-use for consumers. ADEPT supports the company’s proven Adobe Content Server (ACS) technology and protects both PDF and reflow-centric OPS XML eBooks. Purchase and lending business models include library lending, subscription, and ad-supported models. Details here.

Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 was unveiled at the O’Reilly Tools of Change Conference in San Jose on June 19.