Amazon's Lending Library: 'The greatest deal in tech'?

In advance of the Kindle Fire's launch later this month, Amazon announces that Prime subscribers will get to check out a free Kindle book every month

The Kindle Fire tablet
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

With the Kindle Fire hitting stores in less than two weeks, Amazon made another decisive move in the media-consumption wars on Wednesday — unveiling its long-rumored digital book library. Those who have an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs $79 a year for free 2-day shipping and video streaming, will now also be able to borrow one Kindle book per month from the library at no cost. Some say the new perk makes Prime "the greatest deal in tech." Really?

Yes, and Netflix and iTunes better watch out: Once a side project, Prime is now a "great deal," says Sam Biddle at Gizmodo. Not only does it get you free two-day delivery on everything from pliers to speakers, plus instant streaming access to a growing library of TV shows and movies, but now you also get a free book every month. Netflix may have a better selection of streaming content, but that's all it has. Amazon Prime offers so much more. It may even challenge iTunes soon. "All signs point to Amazon using Prime as its warm media spigot in perpetuity, feeding hungry devices like the Kindle Fire, and wrapping you into... its own ecosystem."

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