I was thinking about Microsoft Edge, the eBook business, and the E-reader. I started thinking about Microsoft and the way they handle their consumer services. To start Microsoft has completely gotten out of the consumer music and health business but has stayed in the eBook selling business despite strong competition from E-readers like Kindle, iBooks and Nook.

When you get down to it Microsoft runs maybe a slow forth compared to the three services, I just mentioned but unlike music, Microsoft is still staying in the consumer books business. They are banking big on the book business considering they spend money on development to add E-reader features to Edge back in 2017 then released Edge for iOS and Android earlier this year after saying for years that Edge would only be available on Windows 10. Edge for Windows 10, iOS and Android added Cortana reading feature similar to audiobooks recently as a feature update.

Microsoft would not be putting all this development into Edge’s E-reader feature if there was no profitability in the software or app. This makes me think as to why has Microsoft has not gotten out of the consumer bookmarket. Remember Windows 10 runs on Surfaces and tablets so my questions are

How many books could Microsoft be selling?

Why are they building Edges ePub reading features so much?

Why are they still in the consumer book market when they have been getting out of most consumer services?

To me, there are a lot of unknowns and I wonder if this might actually be a consumer market where Microsoft is making money or hopes to make money or even can make money.

I would like to point out that Microsoft is still in the business of renting and selling movies as well. Now with Microsoft possibly moving to chromium they are investing even more into Edge from a development platform but have said they are still moving forward with Edges E-reader features.

I know Edge is the default PDF reader on Windows 10 maybe that’s another play for Microsoft. While Microsoft has never said how many books, moving to there is defiantly some sort of profit being made or going to be made with the book business from Microsoft.