Internet retail giant Amazon.com has announced a spectacular rise in e-book downloads.
The company cut the price of the Kindle from $259 to $189 which has, according to retailer, resulted in a tripling of hardware sales. The price move was widely seen as a response to the launch of the Apple iPad, which also doubles as an e-book reader.
"Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books – astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO.
Amazon said it has sold 143 Kindle e-books for every 100 hardbacks over the last three months. However in July, sales of e-books had risen to 180 to every 100 hardbacks.
Hardback books obviously sell substantially less than cheaper paperbacks and it's thought that these comfortably outsell e-books still but Amazon hasn't revealed any comparisons of electronic books to paperbacks.
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