Microsoft teams up with Barnes & Noble to enter the ebook arena

The software giant and bookseller have joined forces to bring the fight to Apple and Amazon

Microsoft has invested a cool US$300 million in a partnership with book seller Barnes & Noble – setting the stage for a three way fight between Amazon and Apple.

The first fruits of this joint venture will emerge in the form of Barnes and Noble’s Nook app hitting Windows 8 after its expectedrelease in October. It’ll compete directly with Amazon’s Kindle app by pushing ebooks, newspapers and magazines to consumers.

The new venture between Microsoft and Barnes & Noble also has its sights set on the education market – aiming to muscle in on Apple’s iTunes U by providing teachers and students with digital content and tools alongside the Nook’s study software.

Time will tell how Apple and Amazon will respond, but it looks like the ebook wars could turn into a real page turner. Sorry.

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Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. 

Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge.

Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones.

He’s also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home