File under: dubious competitive strategies. Scant days after Amazon garnered all kinds of glowing reviews for its Kindle II e-reader, it has launched an app bringing Kindle functionality to the Apple App Store, for use with the iPhone and the iPod Touch.
Sure, there were already e-reader apps available for the iPhone, but Amazon has cache with the Kindle — why diffuse it? And, even the most dedicated literati type choosing between an expensive single-purpose device and a multifaceted smartphone might see the choice a no-brainer in light of the app — which is free, by the way.
Well, the e-tailer sales it knows what it’s doing: It said the iPhone battery life is far less than the Kindle’s, so forget the long days reading on the beach, and plus, eye strain may be a problem on the smaller iPhone screen. Plus, not all features of Kindle will be found on the iPhone version. And more to the point, Amazon will significantly increase its reach for the e-book business; Amazon sells digital books for about $9.99 a pop.
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