iBooks not standard on iPad

Daring Fireball's John Gruber notices that iBooks is not a standard OS component in the iPad. While it's possible it will be pre-installed on the iPad anyway, if not - this bodes well for the chances of Amazon, Kobo, B&N and other players to succeed with their own eReaders on the platform.

One of Gruber's readers notes this will allow them to update the app faster - since updates can come adhoc, and not in the form of system updates. Considering how much we expected in the "new" part of "new media" from their content offerings (including magazines and newspaper, for example), this might imply that the app isn't fully baked yet.

I still wouldn't get too excited if I were Amazon. Apple sells 6.5 million products as a hobby (Apple TV) and will likely eclipse Kindle sales pretty easily based on the estimate of 2.5 million Kindle 2's or so I keep hearing about in the wild. Their store will gain considerable traction, and when given the choice of ten book stores, a lot of first timers are probably going to start (and end) with Apple's.