Online bookstore Barnes & Noble.com, which just this month
launched Barnes & Noble Digital, an electronic publishing imprint,
will be the only online book retailer linked to Adobe Systems
Inc.’s Acrobat eBook Reader 2.0 Web site.
At least for now, Barnes & Noble.comand the Adobe site will be
the only online locations where the software can be downloaded, an Adobe
spokesman told internetnews.com in an exchange of e-mail. No financial
arrangements were disclosed.
The application, apparently an updated version of Adobe’s
Glassbook software, reportedly makes electronic books readable
on ordinary computer screens, not just hand-held devices. The Adobe site
apparently will link to the book retailer and vice-versa.. The official
announcement was expected Tuesday.
Online book business rival Amazon.com
also
has an electronic book store, and both companies currently support most
of the major electronic book reader formats.