B&N to offer up an eReader version for iPad

If you were wondering if the other e-reader providers would try to make something for the iPad, B&N's post earlier today helped set the record straight. According to the blog post, B&N is working on a B&N eReader for iPad application. So far the company says it's on target to be available when the iPad is but otherwise isn't saying much about what's going to be new and exciting in its iPad version.

Like its iPhone version, this version will offer customers access to

"more than one million eBooks, magazines and newspapers in the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, as well as the existing content in their Barnes & Noble digital library"

B&N is also planning to offer access to the content that its customers have downloaded to their nook, too.

The big question that everyone keeps asking is if Apple will limit the ability for users to download third party eReader software on the iPad. Since the company has yet to limit it on the iPhone, I would think that it will leave well enough alone and allow competition on the iPad. Also, it actually would make sense for Apple to allow the support out of the gate for 3rd party eReaders since it would encourage more nook and kindle users to take the plunge and play with the iPad.

I won't take you through my buying decision for the iPad, since Matt's earlier post pretty much covered most people's justifications, but I will say that I'm planning to pick up the 16GB WiFi only version. The main reason is because I'm an early adopter and also a mobile application and game publisher. Having that big a screen to play with is enough to make me pull the trigger. However, as a consumer I think I would have to go back and forth in my decision process just like Matt is.