e-Book Echo: Kindle Hits PC; Flexible Reader Emerges; Nook Sales Strong

Our platform focus continues this fine Sunday with the e-Book Echo, our take on the week in the digital publishing world. Amazon released a beta version of the Kindle reader software for PCs this week. The app aims to do what Kindle for iPhone does, allow the reading of Kindle books without the need for a Kindle reader. Amazon says a Mac version is coming soon. Early adopters of the PC app complain that it doesn’t have a wealth of features, but it does work well on XP, Vista and  Windows 7, and even on netbooks.

The Readius pocket reader was doomed with the failure of Polymer Vision. The innovative device used a flexible display that rolls up into a base unit, and early prototypes were impressive. This week came welcome news, Wistron bought the failed company and plans to sell a similar device early next year.

When the Barnes and Noble Nook went up for order at launch, the company claimed a Nov. 30 ship date. Early buyers were indeed quoted that date, and it is expected to see the Nook appear in B&N stores around that date. Customers who are buying the Nook currently, are now being quoted a ship date of Dec. 18, so the logical deduction is that sales are going briskly enough to outstrip production. This is similar to the situation when the original Kindle was launched. Maybe it’s an e-book thing.