“Amazon.com Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has created a reason to switch from bound paper books to bits — a device with a wireless connection able to download digital books on the go. The problem: Low-cost laptops and smart phones, such as Apple’s iPhone, coupled with a rich array of online content, may have already made Bezos’ $399 device obsolete,” Brian Caulfield reports for Forbes.

“Google’s Book Search project has already pumped much of the world’s printed matter into Google’s servers. Downloads of classic titles, such as Bleak House, can already be had for free. Mix Apple’s iTunes content distribution smarts with Google’s vast storehouse of content, and you’ll have an instant competitor to Kindle — one with a touch interface and the ability to play movies and music, too,” Caulfield reports.

Full article here.