As e-readers become more indistinguishable, e-book lending is drawing a key battle line.
Last week, Amazon announced plans to allow e-book lending between Kindle users "later this year," which would eliminate a major advantage that B&N's Nook had over its rival. The Nook has had a LendMe function since the e-reader was released last year.
But at the moment, e-book lending is still quite limited. For one, B&N e-books can only be lent once and only up to 14 days, without an option to renew. Furthermore, not all e-books are lendable; this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder's discretion. A cursory glance at Barnes & Noble's e-bookstore shows that only 107,000 of its 272,000 paid e-books, roughly 40 percent, are lendable.
E-book lending clubs and forums have popped up online. A popular Facebook group, 'I have a NOOK and I'm willing to share books!' has 2,729 members to date where participants can post requests to borrow or lend e-books.
Rival e-readers such as the Apple iPad, the Borders-backed
The Sony Reader, like the Nook, supports e-lending libraries whereby members can borrow e-books available at certain local libraries.
Apple's iPad and iPhone, as well as other media device users, however, can exchange e-books through their Nook app - and soon, presumably, their Kindle apps. That said, stay tuned for a Barnes & Noble press announcement about the Nook tomorrow at 4pm, where the retailer is expected to announce a new version of the Nook that might include color and an Android OS.