T he announcement included the Apple iBook store, which in subsequent days provoked an e-book pricing firestorm, leading Amazon.com to temporarily halt sales of Macmillan e-books and paper books over the weekend. Reactions to Amazon's pulling the plug on Macmillan, and Amazon's subsequent capitulation, took off in all directions. Meanwhile, some Amazon.com e-book buyers blasted Macmillan, vowing they won't pay more than $9.99 for a first-release e-book, and will take a pass on e-books that cost as much as $14.95, the price Macmillan is proposing. [1]

Just as it looked like Amazon was about to achieve an iTunes-style lock on the e-book marketplace, the impending arrival of Apple's iPad seems to have emboldened book publishers. After a pricing dispute caused all Macmillan titles to disappear off Amazon's virtual shelves, other publishers joined the pricing revolt, demanding greater flexibility in setting prices on their wares. [6]

The deal is expected to serve as a template for other publishers, and the new prices should take effect in March, when Apple's iPad goes on sale. [4]

A little more than a week ago, Amazon removed all Macmillan books from its online store, both in Kindle versions and the dead-tree variety. [2]