Earlier this week, AT&T announced that it will begin selling Amazon?s bestselling Kindle 3G in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide beginning March 6, 2011.?AT&T will include Kindle 3G in its connected devices displays throughout AT&T company-owned stores, offering customers the opportunity to test-drive the device onsite rather than purchase solely from Amazon.com.
????Amazon has without question pioneered the eReader space with Kindle, and it?s exciting to not only connect this device through our network, but now offer it in our stores to readers around the country,? said Glenn Lurie, president, emerging devices,?AT&T.? ?As the first dedicated eReader offered in our stores, we are confident the Kindle will be an attractive addition to our in-store connected devices lineup.?
????Kindle 3G, which connects over Wi-Fi as well as AT&T?s mobile broadband network, wirelessly downloads books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a 6-inch, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper. The new Kindle 3G offers the advanced paper-like Pearl E Ink display that is intended to create less eye fatigue offers storage of up to 3,500 books and up to one month of battery life, provided the wireless is turned off.?There are no monthly wireless fees or annual contracts.?The retail price is $189.
Dee Stewart, owner of DeeGospel PR, a literary entertainment public relations boutique based in Atlanta, feels strong regarding business prospects for the African-American authors as a result of AT&T’s new offering.?She says, “AT&T’s [selling] of Kindles in their stores helps the African-American publishing and reading communities because it brings reading back as a cool entertainment choice for African-Americans.”?She continued,?”Although books have not disappeared, African-American bookstores and thus African-Americans purchasing books as a retail activity, have. Seeing the Kindle in-store will also urge AT&T smart phone users to download the free Kindle E-Reader App, which will also get more people reading and buying books.”
The Kindle Store now has more than 810,000 books, including new releases and 107 of 111 New York Times bestsellers. Over 670,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 79 New York Times bestsellers. Kindle lets you ?Buy Once, Read Everywhere? ? on Kindle as well as on free Kindle apps for, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based devices.
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