As specumalated in yesterday’s Giz Explains, Barnes & Noble is reportedly coming out with an iPad version of their ebook app, which will, interestingly, include B&N’s bookstore. Really?

I’m not expressing shock at a Barnes & Noble ebook app on the iPad—they have one on the iPhone, after all, and an option to buy books in the iPhone app.

While Apple’s been allowing micropayments within apps, I’m really curious to see if Apple’s going to allow an entire bookstore selling content be built into third-party apps on the iPad, even given the fact that Apple’s own iBooks app—and included bookstore—is a separate app that you have to download. That Barnes & Noble is trying this, though, isn’t surprising—they’re way behind Amazon, along with everybody else, so getting their platform and books on as many devices as possible is the obvious way to go. I’d expect Amazon to show up as well, since the hardware is secondary, really, to getting people hooked on the platform. Letting people read on their Kindle, their phones, computer and tablets is really the only way it’s viable.

The question is, even if these apps hit the iPad, stores intact, how long before Apple’s more unsavory competitive instincts flare up? [Electronista]