Borders Launches eBook Store, BlackBerry and Android Apps

Borders on Wednesday opened the doors to its new eBook Store, which allows users to purchase books directly from Borders.com and download them to their e-reader of choice.

The company also unveiled new BlackBerry and Android e-reader apps, which will complement its desktop, iPhone, and iPad apps.

The new Borders eBook store features over 1.5 million titles for download, including thousands of books for free, and all of the books in the store are available in multiple formats like ePub and PDF. The eBooks downloaded from the Borders eBook store can be read in any of the Borders eReader apps, or on devices like the Kobo eReader.

The eBook Store will include everything from new best sellers to free classics that are in the public domain. Borders eBooks are available mostly around the $9.99 mark, with some new titles and bestsellers running as high as list price for their paper counterparts while others are reduced to pennies on the dollar.

The new Borders eReader Apps for Android and BlackBerry look and feel like the apps already available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, iPad, and for the Mac or PC. The apps give you instant access to the catalog of books available at the Borders eBook Store and allow you to purchase books and download them directly, access your eBook library from any device, and of course, download and save your books for reading both on or offline.

The apps give you all of the features you would expect from an eReader app, like automatic bookmarking and the ability to remember the page you were on when you closed the app, the ability to customize fonts and font sizes to make your eBooks easier to read, and more. Best of all, the apps are free.

Borders also plans to supplement the new store and apps with new eBook sections in its brick-and-mortar stores. Prior to making a purchase, people with supported eBook readers or devices with the Borders eReader app installed can sit and preview or read eBooks in-store, or try out other partner eBook Reader devices like the Kobo eReader and the Libre eBook Reader Pro. Additionally, eBook Store purchases apply to members of the Borders Rewards loyalty program, which provides discounts at partner retailers.

Borders eBook Store - Buy Online

This post originally appeared on AppScout.

About Our Expert

Alan Henry

Managing Editor, Security

My Experience

I've been writing and editing stories for almost two decades that help people use technology and productivity techniques to work better, live better, and protect their privacy and personal data. As managing editor of PCMag's security team, it's my responsibility to ensure that our product advice is evidence-based, lab-tested, and serves our readers.

I've been a technology journalist for close to 20 years, and I got my start freelancing here at PCMag before beginning a career that would lead me to become editor-in-chief of Lifehacker, a senior editor at The New York Times, and director of special projects at WIRED. I'm back at PCMag to lead our security team and renew my commitment to service journalism. I'm the author of Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized, a career and productivity book to help people of marginalized groups succeed in the workplace.

The Technology I Use

I'm writing this on a computer I built myself. It's powered by an Intel Core i7 with 32GB of RAM, 2TB of storage, and a disturbingly anime-themed NVIDIA GeForce 3070 inside (look, it was on sale). It's connected to a beautiful LG 34-inch ultrawide monitor on my left that I use for gaming (and spreadsheets) and an LG 27-inch 4K monitor in portrait mode on my right that I use for browsing, editing, and reading. Connect all of that to a Logitech Streamcam, an Elgato capture card, an Elgato Stream Deck, and an Elgato Wave:3 using the WaveLink software for mixing, and you might have figured out that I'm also a streamer.

When I'm not at my desk, I usually use a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, which is a little heavy for my tastes but incredible as a combination of laptop and tablet that I can use to work and game when I'm traveling. My IT-issued Lenovo Thinkpad is lovely and light, but it's on standby should I need it. My current phone is a Pixel 6 Pro.

I used to be more of an Apple person. These days, I have an iPad Air for art and easy reading and an old MacBook Pro that used to be my daily driver before the Surface entered my life.

I use Firefox for browsing, and keep a cadre of privacy tools installed to minimize my data footprint. I use Proton products both for VPN and secure email, and I trust Bitdefender and MalwareBytes to keep my data safe from harm.

A handful of Sonos speakers power the audio around my home when I'm not wearing headphones. Speaking of which, I have a collection of both wired and wireless headphones, but my daily wear is a set of Sennheiser HD6XXs that I adore. On the go, I resort to a pair of Beats Studio Buds for the true wireless experience (with a set of Comply eartips, for comfort).

If you're a gamer, ask me about my relationship with Destiny 2.

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