Tablet Offers Barnes and Noble Bookstore

Posted by Editor on Jan 25, 2010 in Apple, Tablets

Techcrunch is running a report that the tablet will come with Barnes and Noble as its default bookstore. I’m not sure if I buy this though- would Apple really want a middle man between customers and books?

We believe there is a good chance there will be a Barnes & Noble bookstore built into the Apple Tablet, either as one of the showcase apps which launches with the device, powering a new book section in iTunes, or integrated directly into the Tablet’s e-reader. The two companies are thought to be working closely together, increasing the likelihood that Barnes & Noble will be part of the announcement on Wednesday. While Apple can run around cutting deals with the larger publishers, a built-in Barnes & Noble bookstore could include up to a million titles in one fell swoop, just like on B&N’s own Nook reader. Barnes & Noble already offers an eReader app for the iPhone (iTunes link) which lets you download and read electronic books on the smaller device. That app could be paving the way for an eReader or book store on the Tablet.

What do you think? Will B&N be the mechanism through which you browse and purchase books on the tablet or merely the free couch and WiFi spot where you sit down and do the same directly via the iTunes Store?