If there was one word I would choose to describe the current state of the eBook market, it would be volatile.  Sure, Amazon is in the lead today, but this is obviously turning into a marathon, not a sprint.  And in this marathon, in which every move matters, Amazon has already stumbled more than once. 

Meanwhile, the book selling powerhouse, which is Barnes and Noble, has been making a number of moves to quietly position itself to take on the Kindle (or so it would seem).  Earlier, we saw Barnes and Noble purchase Fictionwise, bringing to one of the leading eBook readers under their domain. 

Now, in another move, which seems squarely aimed at Amazon’s Kindle 2, Barnes and Noble has entered into a strategic partnership with Plastic Logic.  For those of you who may not be familiar, Plastic Logic (which is featured in the avove video) is the manufacturer of one of the best looking eBook readers around.  It is thin, light, and has a screen which is the size of a sheet of letter sized paper (8 1/2 x 11).   

Which brings me to the chocolate and peanut butter moment.  The biggest problem I saw with the Plastic Logic reader was the lack of a powerful book store.  This made it a fantastic (and fantastically expensive) device, with a tiny niche market.  Barnes and Noble is, obviously, a powerhouse book seller, which has had little success breaking into the eBook market. 

Add these three components together, and you could end up with an eBook system which is poised to take on the Amazon Kindle empire, with a powerhouse store, top notch iPhone App, and state of the art reader.  I plan to keep a close eye on this one.  I think things are about to get interesting. 

Keep reading for the full announcement from Barnes and Noble.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, announced today the launch of the Barnes & Noble eBookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks), the world’s largest eBookstore, on Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), enabling customers to buy eBooks and read them on a wide range of platforms, including the iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry^®smartphones, the forthcoming new eReader device by Plastic Logic, as well as most Windows^® and Mac^® laptops or full-sized desktop computers.

Barnes & Noble’s launch encompasses:

• Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore offering its customers seamless access to more than 700,000 titles, including hundreds of new releases and bestsellers at only $9.99, making it the world’s largest selection of eBooks available in one place.  The company expects that its selection will increase to well over one million titles within the next year, inclusive of every available eBook from every book publisher and every available eBook original, which is a fast growing marketplace.

 

• More than a half-million public domain books from Google, which can be downloaded for free.  Readers can discover and explore this rich treasure trove, including everything from classic works by well-known writers to long-forgotten and obscure titles that are historically much harder to access.

 

• An upgraded version of its eReader application, which was part of the company’s Fictionwise acquisition earlier this year.  This device-agnostic eBook application supports both wireless and wired access to the new Barnes & Noble eBookstore.  Millions of internet-enabled devices are currently supported by eReader, including the nation’s two leading smartphone device families from Apple and BlackBerry^®, as well as most Windows^® and Mac^® laptops or full-sized computers.

 

• First-time users of the eReader will have the opportunity to download free eBooks, including titles such as Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary,Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, Last of the Mohicans, Pride and Prejudice, and Dracula.  See site for further details.

 

• A strategic commerce and content partnership with Plastic Logic, whose eReader device is especially designed for business professionals. Barnes & Noble plans to power the eBookstore for the Plastic Logic Reader. The ultra thin 8.5 x 11 inch wireless eReader is slated to debut in early 2010.

 

• The free, full-featured B&N Bookstore app for iPhone and iPod touch users, which is now the #1 downloaded book app in Apple’s App Store. In addition to enabling customers to easily place orders for books, movies, and CDs, the app also lets users search millions of products simply by snapping a photo. Using the iPhone’s camera, customers can snap a photo of the front cover and within seconds get product details, editorial reviews, and customer ratings – even find and reserve a copy in the nearest store. The app also includes a store locator, bestseller lists, book recommendations, and a store events calendar.

“Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time,” said William J. Lynch, President of BN.com. “As America’s #1 bookstore and newsstand, our goal at Barnes & Noble is to build a service that revolves around the customer, enabling them to have access to hundreds of thousands of titles and read on their smartphone, PC, and many other existing and future devices.  We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone.”

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