Google proves yet again that they're right on top of our constantly-expanding digital lifestyles by attempting to score themselves a piece of the pie that is the ebook market with the launch of Google eBooks the other day.

Not an entirely new concept for Google, the bookstore was formerly known as Google Editions and joins the ranks of Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple) in providing digital bookworms with literary fodder.

It seems that initial impressions of the facilities provided by Google eBooks are enthusiastic: Google have combined the best of all the ebook giants previously mentioned - titles you buy are stored in the cloud, with your progress instantaneously synced Whispersync-style. Read your books on your choice of iPhone/iPad or Android apps. You can even read on any device that supports the Adobe Digital Editions of DRM for PDF and ePub files (which means you can use it on the B&N Nook as well as the Sony Reader and LOADS of other devices) or directly in your browser.

Google is also making the most of its massive collection of public domain books, with 3 million free eBooks on offer in their store, as well as paid-for titles. These paid-for titles are what are causing the most fuss, however. About 4,000 publishers, including CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster Inc., Random House Inc. and Pearson PLC's Penguin Group have permitted Google to carry most of their recent releases in the new store. The big deal about this is that most of the current bestsellers will be available in the Google eBooks store.

Even better, for those who appreciate vintage literature - at some point in the future (if Google get federal court approval) - millions more out-of-print titles will appear in the bookstore as well, so as to allow greater access to a vast wealth of previously unavailable literary material.

It's pretty obvious that Google is trying to maneuver its new sales outlet so as to be an ally to publishers, merchants and consumers looking for alternatives to Amazon's ebook store which sells only to Kindle users and not to users of other devices like Barnes & Noble's Nook. You'll be able to read Google ebooks on practically every e-reading device, apart from the Kindle.

As to what this means for the ebook market, Google's move has been called a "game expander", rather than a game changer, and to those who might be concerned that Google would milk the dominance  of their Internet search engine to drive ebook sales to their store, apparently Google plans to include links to several other places where people can buy the book they're searching for and and when book-browsers  come to the book section on Google's website, they'll be asked if they are interested in buying or just doing general research - which should help fight off that feeling like you're being forced to buy.

A quick inspection of  Google eBooks made me quite excited and it was immediately obvious how organised and fuss-free the service  is to use - your library can be arranged according to what you're reading currently, what you still need to read, what you've just read, along with your favourites. As someone that's been delaying buying an eReader device, for fear of being stuck in a position where I'm only able to buy from one bookstore or pick from a bunch of crappy public domain titles and I'm only able to read my ebooks on one device - it seems that Google's offering a serious alternative and it might be time to put down the hardcover novels and pick up an eReader.