meBooks makes all ebooks available for the new Kindle 3


Press Release - 9:00 am 3 September 2010

meBooks, New Zealand's only dedicated ebook conversion and retail service, is now providing Kindle versions of all ebooks provided via its online store at mebooks.co.nz

With the new Amazon Kindle 3 now available for New Zealand customers to purchase from the Amazon website, there is the expectation that there will be a significant demand from New Zealand consumers for ebooks in Amazon's non-standard Mobipocket format.

With the WiFi version of the Kindle 3 being available to the New Zealand ebook-reading public for around NZ $230 including shipping, it is not only the cheapest dedicated eBook reader on the market, but also includes a number of features not found in many of the other ereading devices. These include text-to-speech, an in-built dictionary, a markedly better display and quicker page-turning response. if local reaction mirrors that of overseas buyers, the Kindle will be quickly adopted in New Zealand.

As the Kindle doesn't support the ePub ebook standard, there is a need for ebook publishers and retailers to provide their titles in the Mobipocket standard or face losing some of their market-share.

meBooks have also started working with New Zealand booksellers to develop a model to help them deal with onslaught of the ebook phenomenon, and have signed-up VicBooks to feature ebooks from the meBooks site via the VicBooks website. It is hoped that, in this fashion, booksellers will be able to concentrate their expertise on selling ebook titles to the reading public, without having to worry about the technical infrastructure required for hosting and delivering ebooks online.