Amazon Kindle Hits Target This Month

A Target employee has discovered that Apple's Kindle is going local retail this month.

While the Barnes & Noble "nook" ebook reader heads to Best Buy on April 18, it appears that Amazon isn't taking the competition lightly, and will offer its Kindle reader at Target starting April 25. The discovery was originally uncovered by Engadget after receiving a screenshot of a Target inventory handheld unit.

Currently there aren't any additional details about the Target offering other than the device size (6-inch) and price ($259 USD). USHour predicts a distinct possibility that Amazon could eventually sell the cheaper, $95 Kindle DX to please consumers on a smaller budget. The Target introduction may also be a sign that Amazon plans to distribute its ebook reader to other brick-and-mortar establishments in the future after Target has its initial run.

The biggest selling point for Amazon's Kindle device may be its convenience. Rather than hunting down Wi-Fi hotspots to purchase and download books, Amazon is providing a free 3G service so that consumers can download what they want, whenever they want, wherever they are, without a contract and monthly fee.

Amazon also launched the Kindle app for the iPad, which has received good response for the company as well.

But in a business sense, the device could be an ideal application in the corporate world, providing manuals, company policies, and other important material for employees in PDF format. Unfortunately, April is a big month for ebook reader devices, offering consumers three new choices--the Kindle, the Nook, and Apple's iPad--simultaneously for consumers and businesses alike.