Barnes & Noble has launched a version of its eBook reader for the Apple iPad. The company already has an iPhone and iPod touch app, as well as the recently launched Nook dedicated eBook reader. But the iPad app is set to go head to head with Apple’s iBooks.
There’s definitely room for more than one digital book store and reader on the iPad and other mobile devices — after all, there’s room for multiple book stores in real life. The problem is that while you can walk into any bricks and mortar store and buy a hardcover book that you can take with you and read wherever and whenever you want, the digital book ecosystem tends to be a little different. If you purchase a title using iBooks, you can’t read it in the Barnes & Noble eBook software on your iPad. And of course, you can’t read it on your Amazon Kindle or Google Android phone. Read the rest of this entry »