iBooks Application Available

by Egatz

Weighing in at 18.1 megabytes, Apple’s iBooks application is now available for download to use on the iPad. It’s users’ gateway to the iBookstore, where readers can purchase books and periodicals.

Aside from most Americans essentially being unable to read anything longer than what can fit on a milk carton, can anyone explain why iBooks is an app which must be downloaded, as opposed to shipping with the hardware? Can anyone accurately explain why the use of iPad as a Kindle-killing e-book reader was barely a mentioned in the official rollout and subsequent PR?

Steve, Steve, Steve. You are as vexing as you are brilliant.