Barnes & Noble Launches Largest eBookstore

Barnes & Noble announced the launch of what it is calling the world’s largest eBookstore. The new Barnes & Noble eBookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks) supports a wide range of platforms including the iPhone and the iPod touch, BlackBerry smartphones, and Windows and Mac laptops. Barnes & Noble will also be the exclusive eBookstore provider for the upcoming Plastic Logic eReader device.

The new Barnes & Noble eBookstore will offer access to more than 700,000 titles, including hundreds of new releases and bestsellers for only $9.99. The company expects to offer over one million titles within the next year, which will include every available eBook from every book publisher and every available eBook original. The store will also offer more than a half-million public domain books from Google.

In addition to announcing the new store, Barnes & Noble will offer an upgraded version of its eReader application. This application supports both wired and wireless access to the Barnes & Noble eBookstore. Millions of Internet-enabled devices are currently supported by eReader, including devices from Apple and BlackBerry as well as Windows and Mac computers.

First-time eReader users can download free eBooks, including Merriam-Webster's Pocket Dictionary, Sense and Sensibility, Little Women, Last of the Mohicans, Pride and Prejudice, and Dracula.

“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,” said William J. Lynch, President of BN.com. “As America’s #1 bookstore and newsstand, our goal at Barnes & Noble is to build a service that revolves around the customer, enabling them to have access to hundreds of thousands of titles and read on their smartphone, PC, and many other existing and future devices. We want to make eBooks simple, accessible, affordable and convenient for everyone.”