SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Barnes & Noble on Monday, 20 July 2009, launched what it bills as the world's largest online electronic book shop with virtual shelves holding more than 700,000 titles.
The major US bookseller is challenging online retail powerhouse Amazon.com with electronic works readable on an array of platforms, including computers, iPod Touch MP3 players, and iPhone and BlackBerry smart phones.
Barnes & Noble added that it will be the exclusive provider of "eBooks" for electronic readers to be released by Plastic Logic.
"We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone," said William Lynch, president of the book giant's website BN.com.
"Today marks the first phase of our digital strategy, which is rooted in the belief that readers should have access to the books in their digital library from any device, from anywhere, at any time."
Amazon staked out a place in the electronic book market with the release of Kindle reader devices in late 2007 and has more than 300,000 titles for sale at its website.
Early this year, Amazon made software available at Apple's App Store that lets people read Kindle books on iPhones or iPod Touch devices.
The increasingly competitive e-reader market includes offerings from Japanese electronics giant Sony.
Source: AFP
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