Barnes & Noble reveals iPad eBook application

by Stevie Smith - Mar 12 2010, 08:24

Clearly keen to hedge its market bets by embracing a potentially more powerful rival, American bookseller Barnes & Noble has this week revealed it plans to launch an eBook application for Apple’s upcoming iPad tablet computer.

Despite already having its own electronic book-reading device – namely the dual-screen Nook – Barnes & Noble said the availability of its iPad app will provide users with “access to more than one million eBooks, magazines and newspapers,” via the official Barnes & Noble eBookstore.

Expanding mobile access to the eBookstore through Apple-branded devices is certainly something the bookseller is familiar with, having already introduced a similar free software platform for the iPhone and also the non-telephonic iPod Touch handset.

Of course, Apple isn’t about to sit back and idly watch as market competitors such as Barnes & Noble fish for trade through the iPad.

Moreover, the tablet computer’s generous 9.7-inch touch-screen display will serve as a willing virtual page for Apple's own eBook content courtesy of the recently unveiled iBookstore.

The Wi-Fi edition of Apple’s iPad will hit retail this coming April 03. Barnes & Noble has indicated that it hopes to have the Nook-compatible eBookstore app ready to meet that date.

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