E-Reader Companies Ready Their iPad Apps

By  |  Monday, March 22, 2010 at 5:11 am

Amazon is providing a sneak peek of its Kindle reader for the iPad. The page is titled “Kindle Apps for Tablet Computers Including the iPad,” which sounds like confirmation that other new versions for (mostly) still-to-come devices are also in the works–I’m guessing ones for Windows-based Slate PCs and for Android. And judging from the images on Amazon’s preview page, it looks like the apps may be slicker than the sparse and disappointing Kindle apps that the company has released to date.

Kindle will have company on the iPad: The New York Times is reporting that Barnes & Noble is also working on a reader. Engadget says that the Hearst-backed Skiff platform will “almost certainly” show up as well (an assertion for which its source is…me). And then there’s Apple’s own iBooks.

After the jump, a couple of screenshots of the Kindle app. No word on how quickly it’ll show up after the iPad does on April 3rd, but presumably it’s in Amazon’s interest to give Apple’s bookstore as little of a head start as possible.

 
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10 Comments For This Post

  1. Northmiester Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 6:16 am

    I’m glad and frankly unsurprised to see that Amazon is building this app. I will look on with interest as to whether Apple allows this app on the Ipad, considering the competition it means for the Ibook’s likely more expensive lineups. I also note that the screenshots show a color image. Does this mean that Kindle can handle photo-oriented books now?

  2. Zatz Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 6:47 am

    I’m waiting for the Magazine apps. Skiff?

  3. Aaron Pressman Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 7:26 am

    Harry, am I missing something here? I don’t get why you think this app will be any better than the barebones iPhone, PC and Mac apps. There’s no sign it includes glaring omissions like searching, note-taking and clipping. And also no evidence it will allow syncing (or even reading of) of any content other than stuff bought in the Kindle store. The only “improvement” I see is the little “Sorted by: recent” at the bottom of the home screen. In the recent Mac app, you can’t even do that.

  4. Harry McCracken Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 7:28 am

    @Northmiester: When I look at Kindle books on my iPhone, some but not all images are in color–but it would be crazy if Amazon isn’t readying itself for a world in which most all e-readers do color. And I’d love to see art books become available in digital versions.

    –Harry

  5. Aaron Pressman Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 7:29 am

    Oops – on third read, finally noticed this: Create bookmarks, notes, and highlights, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle. Apols for my Monday-morning dumb comment above

  6. Jason H. Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 10:50 am

    “Hearst-backed Skiff platform will “almost certainly” show up as well”. But show up with what? Does Skiff have any content deals?

  7. KenC Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 8:41 pm

    @north, why would Apple care? They already have approved the Kindle app and B&N app for the iPhone. They allow competition that does NOT duplicate core functionality. The iBook app is not pre-loaded, you have to download it, so it’s not part of core functionality.

  8. Constable Odo Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    From one point of view it appears Amazon is using it’s content to drive iPad hardware sales. But from another view, Amazon will be getting some revenue from iPad users that purchase books from Amazon. I would hope that Apple will allow the Amazon app. I believe that Apple would be happy to allow any app (non-porn app) to drive iPad sales since Apple makes most of their money from hardware. I’d think the iBookstore would really just be more of a convenience for consumers.

  9. Ken Says:
    July 21st, 2010 at 11:52 pm

    Those are cool apps thanks

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    September 28th, 2010 at 6:40 pm

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  1. Daily Roundup « Netly: The Third Screen Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 7:25 am

    […] E-Reader Companies Ready Their iPad Apps Technologizer […]

  2. Hong Kong CocoaHeads » Kindle for iPad and other e-reader apps too Says:
    March 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 am

    […] Amazon is readying its Kindle application for the iPad. Banes & Noble is developing reader app for iPad too. Check out Technologizer’s post for more. […]