The ebook price war has begun in the US. Amazon  has cut the price if its Kindle from $259 to $189 (£128) and Barnes & Noble’s wi-fi-only version of the Nook will sell for just $149 (just £100).

Cleary the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble are worried about a certain ebook manufacturer that so far has not deigned to join the war (when does it ever).  Apple’s iPad, which has shaken up the market since it launched in the US (selling 1m units within just 28 days of launch) and now more than two million.

According to a report on Mashable the Kindle will still be available with 3G wireless connectivity without a contract or monthly charges.

The report points out that with the arrival of arrival of iOS 4 – software that makes Apple’s iBooks iPhone users will soon be able to download and read books on their handhelds. So all iPhone users need do is download the free software and they can start browsing for titles.

This is anathema to me – any serious book reader is not going to read their author’s latest literary work on a tiny screen, so it’s never in my view going to be mass market.

Mashable speculates whether the price-cuts happened in anticipation of the iPhone development, but also wonders whether it’s a way to position themselves as a more viable (and cheaper) alternative to the iPad. That makes perfect sense and I expect to see more price cuts.

For me, it’s a no-brainer. The iPad’s success so far, has put the willies up the competition. I mean you’ve seen what the iPad looks like and what it offers and then look at the Kindle. No contest.

It happened with the iPod, it happened with the iPhone. No one – not even those who may come out with a device that technically betters Apple’s own – can take on the might of Apple and win. Which is why it’s probably looking down on this price war with detached, Godly contempt. As is its way.