Amazon Allowing People To Send E-Books As Gifts
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There’s no doubt that e-reading is becoming more popular as each day passes by. One of the top companies in the e-reader business is definitely Amazon. The company has previously announced that it would allow users to lend books to friends and family members. Recently, Amazon has also enabled gift-givers to send Kindle electronic books by e-mail. This is one great way to get people to offer books as a present while at the same time keep in line with the latest technology. For the commerce company, this can only mean more revenue during the holiday season because let’s face it, it sounds like a great idea to send someone such a gift, especially if they’re living in another city or country.
Kindle e-books can be read on e-readers (like Amazon’s Kindle), computers, mobile phones, tablets and Apple’s iPod Touch music player. Kindle’s vice president Russ Grandinetti stated that: “we are thrilled to make it easier than ever for our customers to give their favorite Kindle book to a friend or family member as a gift.” He added that this functionality will be made available with the goal of making it easier for all people to shop for the holiday seasons and not just Kindle owners.
The e-book collection Amazon currently offers includes a large number of titles so if you’re interested in giving someone such a gift, you’ll definitely run into something he/she might enjoy reading. Which brings us back to the topic: why are e-books starting to be a better choice than hardcover books? It’s simple. With an e-reader, computer or smartphone you can store as many books as you want and take them along anywhere you go. It’s not as simple to take multiple paper books with you when you’re traveling.
As people discover that there’s an electronic alternative to books, the technology is selling much more in the US. According to a report from Forrester Research people in the US are expected to spend 996 million dollars on e-books this year. This would represent a massive increase from the 301 million dollars recorded last year. By the time 2015 is here, that number should’ve risen to 2.81. Right now, about seven percent of online US adults who are enthusiastic about reading read e-books. A year from now, Forrester expects that number to double.
According to AFP Amazon’s Kindle store will benefit tremendously from the rise in e-book reading and that’s because it already has a relationship with potential and current e-book buyers through its main website Amazon.com. Thinking a bit about e-reading, I can only say that things are bound to get better as more companies manage to offer color screens on this type of device. When people get to see videos, images and more embedded into e-books, they’ll probably be even more interested in buying and reading them. Do you like the idea of offering someone an e-book for this holiday season? Are you fond of reading e-books or do you think old fashioned books are still the way reading should be done?11
