Barnes & Noble To Offer eReader For iPad
Barnes
& Noble plans to offer a version of its eReader software designed for
the iPad. The eReader will enable
users to access more than one million eBooks, magazines, and newspapers in the
Barnes & Noble eBookstore as well as content in a user's own Barnes &
Noble digital library.
Even though the iPad will compete against Barnes & Noble's own device, the Nook, the bookseller is sticking with its commitment to provide the eReader software for as many screens as possible. Barnes & Noble's free eReader software is currently available for most computing and mobile devices such as the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and BlackBerry.
With Apple entering the e-reader space, some book publishers have decided now is the perfect time to challenge the existing paradigm, particularly when it comes to price. For example, Macmillan recently pushed to raise the prices of its ebooks to $12.99-$14.99 from the previous price of $9.99. Although Amazon.com temporarily pulled the publisher's titles from its online store in response to the price increase, the company eventually gave in and said price changes could be the way of the future.
"We will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books," a representative for Amazon.com wrote in a Jan. 31 statement. "Amazon customers will at that point decide for themselves whether they believe it's reasonable to pay $14.99 for a bestselling book."
Apple is reportedly in talks with a number of book publishers and studios for content; it's possible booksellers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble will have to match the terms of Apple's agreements in order to prevent the iPad from making too big of a dent in the e-reader market.
The eReader for iPad software is scheduled to be released around the time of the iPad's availability.
Even though the iPad will compete against Barnes & Noble's own device, the Nook, the bookseller is sticking with its commitment to provide the eReader software for as many screens as possible. Barnes & Noble's free eReader software is currently available for most computing and mobile devices such as the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and BlackBerry.
With Apple entering the e-reader space, some book publishers have decided now is the perfect time to challenge the existing paradigm, particularly when it comes to price. For example, Macmillan recently pushed to raise the prices of its ebooks to $12.99-$14.99 from the previous price of $9.99. Although Amazon.com temporarily pulled the publisher's titles from its online store in response to the price increase, the company eventually gave in and said price changes could be the way of the future.
"We will have to capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms because Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles, and we will want to offer them to you even at prices we believe are needlessly high for e-books," a representative for Amazon.com wrote in a Jan. 31 statement. "Amazon customers will at that point decide for themselves whether they believe it's reasonable to pay $14.99 for a bestselling book."
Apple is reportedly in talks with a number of book publishers and studios for content; it's possible booksellers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble will have to match the terms of Apple's agreements in order to prevent the iPad from making too big of a dent in the e-reader market.
The eReader for iPad software is scheduled to be released around the time of the iPad's availability.
