Battle Between Amazon's Kindle Store and Apple's iBook Store
It's Game on, bookworms! The e-reader wars are heating up faced with the might of Amazon's Kindles and the sleek charm of Apple's iPads.
In January, Apple unveiled its latest weapon in the e-reader battle - the iPad. Technology insiders speculated that this stunning device would mark the end for existing e-readers, including Amazon's legendary Kindle. But Jeff Bezos and Co. weren't about to let the iPad have all the fun. Instead of trying to prove why their Kindle was better, they embraced the iPad wave, and in April, they launched an iPad version of their popular Kindle app.
The iPad is here, and so is the Kindle App for the iPad! Get it for free from the App Store, and watch your iPad transform into an e-reading paradise for Kindle devotees. Bright, accessible, and oh-so-sleek, the Kindle App gives iPad owners everything their Kindle can offer and more. With the iPad's high price of $489 for the comparably sized Kindle DX, you might expect to shell out a pretty penny for this upgrade. But the extra $10 for an iPad feels like a steal when you consider all the additional features it offers.
The Kindle App works similarly to iBooks. You get a list of books, just a touch away, and the Kindle Store right at your fingertips. Unlike iBooks, the store is merely a browser interface to Amazon.com. Some might find this disjointed, but once you link the Amazon app with your Amazon account, purchasing new books and sending them directly to your iPad is a breeze. In seconds, your latest purchase becomes available on your device, and most books come with free samples for previewing.
So, is the Kindle App an iBooks killer? Not quite. There are other worthy opponents in the e-reader world, like Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Sony. These competitors boast extensive catalogs of books, some even offering deals unavailable elsewhere, ensuring that you'll find your favorite titles among them. Fortunately for iPad owners, their device is the only one that supports reading from multiple e-book stores. Kobo already has an app for iPad owners, and rumor has it that Barnes & Noble and other e-reader companies will soon follow suit, giving users even more options. If Sony is anything to go by, we can expect an iPad-friendly version of their e-reader story in no time.
More on this battle in the May Edition of the Good E-Reader Magazine! Subscribe today for just $1.99 and stay ahead of the curve on the latest news in Tablets, Slates, and E-Readers.
Michael Kozlowski
Michael Kozlowski, our editor-in-chief, has been writing about audiobooks, e-readers, and more for fifteen years. His insights have been featured in renowned publications like the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post, and the New York Times. Based in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The iPad's arrival in the e-reader market has caused a stir, but the Kindle App for the iPad stands strong, offering an enhanced e-reading experience to Kindle devotees. As technology continues to evolve, other e-reader gadgets like Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Sony also strive to capture the market, but the iPad's versatility, with its ability to read from multiple e-book stores, gives it an edge.
