B&N Makes a Big Announcement

From Monday's Publishers Marketplace:

BN has launched their anticipated ebookstore, offering approximately 200,000 real titles along with 500,000 free public domain titles from Google, "including hundreds of new releases and bestsellers at only $9.99."

The announcement, describing B&N as the "world's largest bookseller," also described the launch of "the world's largest eBookstore." It promised that readers would be able:

. . . to buy eBooks and read them on a wide range of platforms, including the iPhone and iPod touch, BlackBerry® smartphones, as well as most Windows® and Mac® laptops or full-sized desktop computers. In addition, Barnes & Noble announced that it will be the exclusive eBookstore provider on the forthcoming and much anticipated Plastic Logic eReader device.

I first talked about Plastic Logic in a 9/10/08 post here in which I quoted a New York Times story that described Plastic Logic as an electronic newspaper reader: "a lightweight plastic screen that mimics the look — but not the feel — of a printed newspaper." The device is expected to be released in early 2010.

. . . Plastic Logic’s device, which will be shown at an emerging technology trade show in San Diego, has a screen more than twice as large. The size of a piece of copier paper, it can be continually updated via a wireless link, and can store and display hundreds of pages of newspapers, books and documents.

Additional features of the new site from the B&N announcement:

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 . . .

More than a half-million public domain books from Google, which can be downloaded for free . . .

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.

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.

William J. Lynch, President of BN.com, said: "We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone.”

Go here to read the B&N announcement.