Microsoft and Barnes & Noble have struck a partnership to produce and distribute digital books through a new, yet-to-be named Barnes & Noble subsidiary that will include the booksellers existing Nook e-book division as well as its college textbook business. Market observers say the venture could bring much needed competition to an e-book market dominated by Amazon. Barnes & Nobles stock was up more than 70% on the news.
via Microsoft, Barnes & Noble Strike E-Book Partnership – Hardware – Handhelds/PDAs – Informationweek.
The quick take on this: It’s a slap at Amazon, and a way for the embattled B&N to continue being relevant. Its Nook has been really wounded by the Kindle Fire (which is something like the #1 Android-based tablet out there, even if its “Android” is a rather cut-down version of the OS).
A Nook app for Win 8 in Metro style seems a shoo-in, but what about the next Nook being a WinPhone-powered mini-tablet? Something to chew over…
