4 ms·

Supposed change in Apple policy has e-book fans worried about their apps

16 points by dean 16y ago

beoba 16y ago
Neat, everybody loses. Now that's thinking different.
natrius 16y ago
So the choice will soon be between getting an iPad and repurchasing all your books through the app, or buying an Android tablet and reading the books you already own without having to pay again. Sounds like a tough choice. Good thing Apple products have good resale value, because mine's ending up on Craigslist fairly soon.
- jcromartie 16y ago
  No, because the story is wrong.
  - natrius 16y ago
    Even if it's wrong, they're still pulling similar bullshit with publishers who try to give their print subscribers free access to their apps. They're not winning any friends here.
  - beoba 16y ago
    What part is wrong?
archgrove 16y ago
Insufficient, and certainly one sided information is all that's so far available. I'm taking it with a large grain of salt but if true, it's a monstrously stupid move. Unlike most Apple App "restrictions", even the most tech-unsavvy iOS owner will notice this one. You can bet it'd feature in upcoming ads for other tablets. For these reasons, I'm suspicious. It's either just wrong, a silent test of the waters that will come to nothing, or a policy that won't last until Spring (much like the "Only Obj-C" attempt). If it's anything else, I worry for the future of the Apple App platform.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
  - protomyth 16y ago
    I'm having a tough time believing the spokesperson got it right, because of the Rhapsody, Netflix, and Audible apps. Never mind every PDF viewer. It just seems like a really, really bad idea that will bring government intervention. The Kindle app kicks over to Safari for purchases, but I really can't imagine them requiring Amazon to add an in app purchase through Apple. I can't imagine the circumstances that would make that acceptable.
jcromartie 16y ago
I really doubt Apple would boot Kindle from the app store. I think what happened here was just Sony getting turned down because they had an in-app store that was not going through Apple. I think Apple realizes how huge of a mistake it would be to ban Kindle from the App Store. Edit: this is pretty obviously just Sony feeling burned and wanting to spin this into as scary a story as possible.
wildjim 16y ago
Apple seems to have a policy of regularly testing the water for further lock-down/lock-out/lock-in. Almost as if they think because an awful lot of people have accepted it on iTunes, a similar number accepted it from Microsoft for such a long time (and still do) that it's simply a matter of waiting until the public are too jaded to care any longer.
- tvon 16y ago
  When have they tested the water for lock down as opposed to just doing it and riding out the storm?
trustfundbaby 16y ago
I always wondered why you couldn't purchase a book directly from the kindle app on the iPad (it makes you open up a new browser window to do it)
Legion 16y ago
I just started using the Kindle app on my iPad. Loved it so much that I planned on buying a Kindle 3G as a companion device for my iPad (to handle the outdoor summer reading that iPad struggles with). It looks like Apple is just testing the waters, but if they were to eliminate the Kindle app as it lives now, my next tablet would be an Android one, for sure.

16 points by dean 16y ago

beoba 16y ago

Neat, everybody loses. Now that's thinking different.

So the choice will soon be between getting an iPad and repurchasing all your books through the app, or buying an Android tablet and reading the books you already own without having to pay again. Sounds like a tough choice. Good thing Apple products have good resale value, because mine's ending up on Craigslist fairly soon.

jcromartie 16y ago
No, because the story is wrong.
- natrius 16y ago
  Even if it's wrong, they're still pulling similar bullshit with publishers who try to give their print subscribers free access to their apps. They're not winning any friends here.
- beoba 16y ago
  What part is wrong?

archgrove 16y ago

Insufficient, and certainly one sided information is all that's so far available. I'm taking it with a large grain of salt but if true, it's a monstrously stupid move. Unlike most Apple App "restrictions", even the most tech-unsavvy iOS owner will notice this one. You can bet it'd feature in upcoming ads for other tablets. For these reasons, I'm suspicious. It's either just wrong, a silent test of the waters that will come to nothing, or a policy that won't last until Spring (much like the "Only Obj-C" attempt). If it's anything else, I worry for the future of the Apple App platform.

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- protomyth 16y ago
  I'm having a tough time believing the spokesperson got it right, because of the Rhapsody, Netflix, and Audible apps. Never mind every PDF viewer. It just seems like a really, really bad idea that will bring government intervention. The Kindle app kicks over to Safari for purchases, but I really can't imagine them requiring Amazon to add an in app purchase through Apple. I can't imagine the circumstances that would make that acceptable.

jcromartie 16y ago

I really doubt Apple would boot Kindle from the app store. I think what happened here was just Sony getting turned down because they had an in-app store that was not going through Apple. I think Apple realizes how huge of a mistake it would be to ban Kindle from the App Store. Edit: this is pretty obviously just Sony feeling burned and wanting to spin this into as scary a story as possible.

wildjim 16y ago

Apple seems to have a policy of regularly testing the water for further lock-down/lock-out/lock-in. Almost as if they think because an awful lot of people have accepted it on iTunes, a similar number accepted it from Microsoft for such a long time (and still do) that it's simply a matter of waiting until the public are too jaded to care any longer.

tvon 16y ago
When have they tested the water for lock down as opposed to just doing it and riding out the storm?

trustfundbaby 16y ago

I always wondered why you couldn't purchase a book directly from the kindle app on the iPad (it makes you open up a new browser window to do it)

Legion 16y ago

I just started using the Kindle app on my iPad. Loved it so much that I planned on buying a Kindle 3G as a companion device for my iPad (to handle the outdoor summer reading that iPad struggles with). It looks like Apple is just testing the waters, but if they were to eliminate the Kindle app as it lives now, my next tablet would be an Android one, for sure.