Book retailer Barnes and Noble is going squarely at the Amazon Kindle by announcing an eBook application which will enable readers to enjoy eBooks on everything from the iPhone to the Blackberry, to their own “plastic logic device.”

The PLD promises full color and will be made available this coming Spring. The PLD also vaguely promises to have “other features” which were not available when the “other device that’s out there” (presumably the Kindle) was released. That’s rather hard to imagine since the Kindle has wireless access for not only downloading eBooks from Amazon, but also magazine subscriptions and the ability to check your own email.
Could the latest fad known as “augmented reality” be one of those features? Only time will tell. But since Amazon has also created an iPhone version of the Kindle reader, it’s hard to imagine what selling point would cause users to move from Kindle to the PLD, unless it’s a far better price point and improved battery life
One thing is for sure, competition is a good thing. And if Barnes and Noble thinks it can wage a legitimate challenge in the eBook reader market, the consumer will be the main beneficiary.

Hat Tip – Gadgetell