With the iPad pre-orders booming, there is a big expectation that we’ll see some pretty heavy competition from Amazon Kindle in response, especially in the ebook market. But with news of the iPad being able to read ebooks aloud to its uses, perhaps Amazon will be forced back to the drawing board? Actually, no. The Kindle 2 already has this functionality built-in.

Wired posted this piece explaining that the iPad will not only feature ebook option for those who enjoy reading, but the iPad will also be able to read EPUB titles aloud. Unfortunately, whether or not ebooks will be able to support this functionality is not something that is to be decided by Apple or the reader. It’s up to publishers to make sure their books can be read aloud.