Scrap Kindle app; download e-books directly to Android

Google has just launched a new section of the Android Market for e-book downloads. Designed for optimal use on Android 3.0 tablets, Google’s new selection of electronic books are also available on Sony’s Reader, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and any PC.

If you have a Xoom, you’ll notice a “Books” tab next time you click on the Android Market. It’ll also be available for every future tablet that runs Android 3.0 (“Honeycomb”). Anyone else can see the list of digital books available at market.android.com/books.

While the new digital book platform is designed with Android 3.0 in mind, the Google Books app is available on pretty much any Android or iOS device. It’s also accessible through the Nook and Sony Reader. The only place you won’t find it is the Kindle.

Prices of Google Books are pretty much on par with all the other e-book platforms. Like the Kindle, users can download a book on one one Google Books device, like the Xoom, and then access it on another, like the Nook, without the need to re-download or re-purchase anything.

Users can sort through the Google Books catalog with numerous filtering options, including category, top-selling, new arrivals, and New York Times Bestsellers.