Amazon, Kobo and Google have all been very busy in the last month expanding their device offering and their geographical reach, hoping to put their device in your hands this festive season and secure your future e-book purchases.
Amazon kicked things off on 28 September, launching their much speculated tablet device, the Kindle Fire, which will ship on 15 November and sell for $199. During the same press event Amazon announced a touch-screen version of the Kindle selling for $99, a non-touch-screen Kindle selling for $79 and a new mobile web browser called Amazon Silk. ‘We’re making premium products and offering them at non-premium prices’, says Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO).
THE KINDLE FIRE
A week later, on 6 October, Google announced the launch of their Google e-books UK store, which will include e-books from Hachette, Random House and Penguin and over two million public domain e-books. The Google e-books are stored in the cloud and will work across a range of devices.
A day later, on 7 October, Amazon launched their French Kindle Store, following only a few months after the launch of the German Kindle Store. The French Kindle Store has approximately 800,000 titles with 35,000 French-language titles. Amazon also expanded the Kindle publishing platform to France, allowing French authors and publishers to use this in their native French.
A day later, on 7 October, Amazon launched their French Kindle Store, following only a few months after the launch of the German Kindle Store. The French Kindle Store has approximately 800,000 titles with 35,000 French-language titles. Amazon also expanded the Kindle publishing platform to France, allowing French authors and publishers to use this in their native French.
Not to be left out, Kobo had a flurry of announcements over the next week, starting on 11 October with their partnership with French bookstore chain FNAC to create what Kobo are calling France’s largest e-book store. FNAC, which sells electronics and home goods as well as books and DVDs, will use Kobo’s platform to power their e-book store. Kobo is also developing French-language versions of their e-reading apps.
Two days later, on 13 October, Kobo announced another partnership, this time in the UK with well-known retail chain WH Smith. Previously WH Smith had an e-book offering powered by US e-book aggregator OverDrive; the Kobo partnership will allow WH Smith to offer their customers both Kobo e-reading devices and mobile apps.
Then, on 19 October, Kobo made their entry into the tablet arena with the announcement of the Kobo Vox, a 7” tablet device running on the Android operating system. It will support e-books, apps, music, web browsing and email, and will have a digital newsstand for magazines. The Vox ships on 28 October, two weeks ahead of the Kindle Fire, and will also sell for $199.
KOBO VOX
All of the above took place in less than a month and more is likely to follow soon: Kobo e-book stores in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, Google e-book stores in Australia and Canada, and Barnes & Noble launching a new touch-screen e-reader. Apart from announcing 180 million iBooks downloads (not sales), Apple has been quiet lately when it comes to iBooks, but you can never rule them out!
All of the above took place in less than a month and more is likely to follow soon: Kobo e-book stores in Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, Google e-book stores in Australia and Canada, and Barnes & Noble launching a new touch-screen e-reader. Apart from announcing 180 million iBooks downloads (not sales), Apple has been quiet lately when it comes to iBooks, but you can never rule them out!
