Amazon introduces free lending library for Prime members
If you own a Kindle -- the hardware device, not the software app that runs on your iPhone or iPad, and you're an Amazon Prime member, you can now borrow thousands of books to read on your device. The equation goes like this: Kindle + Prime = about 5000 titles include a hundred or so current and former NYT best sellers.
This move leaves Apple's iBooks initiative further behind in terms of innovation and trailblazing. The Kindle app runs on most computers and devices, including OS X and iOS. iBooks is limited to iOS platforms only. Kindle has long provided person-to-person lending and other advanced reading features that set their platform apart.
The ball is in Apple's court. Surely it's time for Apple to step up with new media authoring tools and a Mac reader at least. Today's announcement demonstrates that Amazon knows what sells Kindles -- traditional and fire.
