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LongBox

A first look at LongBox: video

Beset by delays since it was first announced in 2009, the digital comics reader and store LongBox is finally here. It's a comprehensive attempt to bring some of that iTunes mojo to comics. This first look video showcases a bit of what was covered in Monday's hands-on, what the program can do, and what still needs work.

The LongBox public beta, for Windows and Mac, showcases a massive amount of potential, but it's definitely a rough work in progress. It faces massive challenges beyond getting the software to function correctly. Unlike music and MP3s, there's currently no single defining file format for comics. The "gray-market" CBR and CBZ are little more than image archive containers and not used by any comics publisher to distribute their comics digitally.

LongBox CEO Rantz Hoseley isn't worried about this, though. LongBox's greatest strength, he said, is that LongBox is a comprehensive platform. It's "comprehensive in terms of production tools and support provided to publishers and creators. Comprehensive in terms of devices and systems. Comprehensive in terms of how users purchase and use content, that we do not dictate how and where customers enjoy the content." He added this applies to archiving and re-downloading as well as content access, which implies that those features will be coming to LongBox.

There's also the issue of adoption. Except for the rise of graphic novels, comics publishers in America have been dependent on the direct market niche comic book stores. Will readers flock to digital versions of them? And will those readers jump from stores to digital, or will LongBox bring in new readership? Hoseley seemed confident in LongBox's ability to fuel growth. … Read more

Digital comics store-reader combo LongBox hands-on

After a much longer run as a private beta than originally intended, the digital comic book store and comics reader called LongBox has finally opened its doors. The public beta is available for Windows and Mac, and although it's still quite rough in some spots, it represents a major breakthrough for the print-centric medium.

When you open LongBox v0.5, you'll see a massive information overload. The layout uses boxes to keep the busy display from getting too chaotic, but the varying shades of blue don't keep things as separate as they could be. Just because this is comics doesn't mean you're going to encounter a lot of primary colors or ziptones here, but some of that old-school feel might have helped here.

In the upper left box, you'll see a horizontal scroll of featured titles. Below that is a newsfeed from the comic book news and reviews Web site Comic Book Resources. The Blackbox is a comic creator spotlight, with the debut focus on Steven Niles, perhaps best known as the writer of 30 Days of Night. It is currently not functioning.

The column on the right is devoted to your LongBox stats on top and a scroll list of comic books being published for the current week. The stats counter wasn't working in the version I tested but should display your purchased comics, comics subscriptions, and comics loaded on your current device. That's a hint at what's to come for LongBox, which anticipates an iPad version, an Android tablet version, Xbox support, and support for other handheld devices. Comics downloaded through LongBox are shared to your account in addition to being stored locally, so you'll be able to read them on any LongBox-supported device without having to download them a second time. … Read more

LongBox aims to be iTunes for comic books

If you've ever wondered why comic books don't have a digital distribution and management platform the way music, movies, or books do, you're not alone. The good news is that one software company and one man--perhaps clad in an identity-concealing spandex costume--are here to save the day with LongBox.

In production for more than three years by QuickSilver Software, LongBox is a free, cross-platform iTunes-style jukebox for comic books. Judging by the proposed feature set, it's the most apt comparison, and one that LongBox CEO and founder Rantz Hoseley is happy to make. "One of … Read more