Amazon: You can read Kindle books on the iPad too

There's been a lot of talk about how Apple's iPad could wipe out Kindle as a device. But a big part of Amazon's Kindle business is the e-book store, which includes some 400,000-plus digital titles. Amazon has pursued a strategy of making Kindle books available across multiple devices, and today the online retailer made clear it will sell books via the iPad as well.

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener told the New York Times:

Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on the iPhone, iPod Touch, PCs, and soon BlackBerry, Mac, and iPad. Kindle is purpose-built for reading. Weighing in at less than 0.64 pounds, Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an E Ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees-all at a $259 price. Kindle editions of New York Times bestsellers and most new releases are only $9.99.

As the above quote indicates, Amazon isn't exactly giving up on Kindle the device, and some believe the company is developing new e-readers that include more advanced features like color, touchscreen, and flexible displays. But clearly for Amazon, content is a big part of the Kindle business.

It looks like Amazon is holding fast to its $9.99 standard for new titles on Kindle, despite reports that Apple is planning to let publishers set higher prices — $12.99 and $14.99 —for e-books.

One interesting note: the Apple iPad announcement didn't dent Amazon stock today. Amazon shares were up 2.74 percent (the company reports Q4 earnings tomorrow).

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About Eric Engleman

ERIC ENGLEMAN is senior technology staff writer for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal, covering online retail giant Amazon.com. Engleman tracks Amazon's increasingly complex business, spanning ecommerce, Kindle, cloud computing, and more. He's been covering technology and other industries for the Business Journal since 2003.

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