London Buzzing About Amazon eBook Reader

The buzz on the London Book Fair floor included speculation on when Amazon will launch its own e-book reader as well as the increasing number of U.K. publishers that have signed on for Google’s Book Search.

Amazon has been previewing its e-reader to publishers both in the U.S. and U.K.—HarperCollins UK CEO Victoria Barnsley mentioned the reader at yesterday’s LBF seminar on green publishing—for months, although it has declined to comment on its existence to the press. According to publishers who have seen the player, the reader is a step up from the
Sony Reader
which was introduced last year. The screen quality is reportedly as sharp as Sony, but the Amazon device has better functionality, and, as should be expected from the e-tailer, a first rate e-commerce option. Amazon is expected to release the reader this spring, although the exact timing may depend on how fast it can develop a critical mass of titles. Two years ago, Amazon acquired Mobipocket—the company’s cross-platform e-book reader is designed to run on all PCs, handheld devices and mobile phones—and it is using that company to supply titles for the player.

Price is expected to be above $400.

Extract taken from;

London Buzzing About Amazon Reader, Google Online
Jim Milliot, Publishers Weekly, 18 April 2007

Tagged as: Amazon, eReaders, Kindle