Firstly, Google announced today that it will launch Google Editions in the first half of next year. Readers will initially be able to buy half a million e-books from the site as well as hosted books from other retailers. Because it is Google (and because of my preference for Google products) I look forward to seeing a user friendly website devoid of any e-reader format bias.
Amazon has announced a price drop for the Kindle, down to $259. But the bigger news is that the latest version of the Kindle (available on October 19th) will be available to customers in over 100 country and have access to wireless.
Pictures of bookstore giant Barnes and Noble's e-reader are now up online. B&N have been working on their design for a few years now but it is possible that the wait might be worth it. "The layout will feature a black and white e-ink screen like the Kindle has—and a multitouch display like an iPhone underneath." In a kind of bizarre publicity twist Barnes and Noble will be launching the e-reader/ "major event" at the Chelsea Piers next Tuesday. I guess we shall wait and see how momentous this event really is.
Unlike Amazon and Google, who make their money online, Barnes and Noble has made a large amount of their money in-store. Is B&N ahead of the curve by trying to adapt to digital consumers? Will a successful e-reader keep their business alive after all of their retail stores have died off? Perhaps. One thing is for sure: it'll be a lot harder to get readers to pay 25 bucks for a digital book like they would have for a hard copy. Not only that but, Amazon, Google, and Barnes and Noble will have to compete not just with one another, but with piracy as well.
Personally, after reading so much about e-readers... they are starting to grow on me. If they get to the point where they have color, touch screens, connect to the internet, and get to around $100-150 I'd fork over the cash for that. Anyone else thinking they could go for one of these in the future?
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