Amazon.com Launches Ebooks Store

Posted on November 15, 2000

Online retailer Amazon.com has announced the opening of its new electronic book store, featuring electronic book (ebook) titles in Microsoft Reader format and downloadable digital audio titles from Audible, Inc. Amazon.com's competitor Barnes and Noble.com has already launched an ebook store with downloads available in Microsoft Reader and PDF.

``Ebooks are already opening up a whole new world for readers,'' said Lyn Blake, Amazon.com Books general manager. ``What's exciting for readers is that we are just scratching the surface today with the technology and the content, and the potential for both is amazing. While customers will continue to be impressed with the technology as it advances, we think it's the unique and exclusive content that will really delight customers, as demonstrated today by our launch with a host of titles that are unavailable in print or audio anywhere else.''

Amazon.com's ebook store includes over one thousand ebook titles ranging from science fiction to business and investing to romance to health, mind, and body and other genres and categories. The store also features more than 30 free ebook titles available for download.

Five bestselling titles are making their ebook debut exclusively at Amazon.com. They are: Leading the Revolution (Harvard Business School Press), Secrets of Frank Herbert's Dune (ibooks), The GE Way Fieldbook: Jack Welch's Battle Plan for Corporate Revolution (McGraw-Hill), The New American Standard Bible (Foundation Publications) and Worst-Case Scenario Handbook (Chronicle Books).

``Once again, Amazon.com is redefining what it means to buy a book,'' said Steve Stone, general manager of the Microsoft ebooks product group. ``The combination of Amazon.com's incredible shopping experience and the unique capabilities and instant delivery available with Microsoft Reader will make electronic reading a powerful new reality.''

Amazon.com is working with various digital technology providers to run the store. Microsoft has created a customized Amazon.com version of Microsoft Reader for the Amazon.com store. The Amazon.com ebooks store will also feature e-audiobook titles from audible.com. Amazon.com has engaged Lightning Source Inc. to provide fulfillment of ebooks for the new store.