Amazon late Monday said it would preview a version of Kindle for the Web on Tuesday that will show full books. Previously limited to samples, the embedded technology won’t insist on reading offline and will also decentralize shopping.
The change is a direct response to the Google eBookstore, which went live on Monday and is already delivering the same features, including sales away from its home website. Amazon hasn’t said whether it will follow the Google model and give independents a cut of the purchase, although it’s implied that they would have some control. Independent booksellers have complained that the e-book market is currently very centralized and often locks them out of sales without the resources to run a shop or the ability to make their own devices.
This move also openings the Kindle ecosystem to any web-capable device, such as a tablet, access books without a native app.
