Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

blog.tinygrab.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–76 of 76 posts

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#71

Post by regularfry »

kylec wrote: post #59

I understand the issue with Readability, Kindle, etc, but in this case, I'm having a hard time understanding why they simply can't charge for the app in the App Store. Their first reason is that using online accounts reduces piracy. However, while there is some iOS piracy, it's sufficiently difficult (jailbreaking, etc) that anyone that wants to pay for the app will do so. The second reason is that having an online a…

Looks like it's because they use the account to actually store meaningful data online, not just for anti-piracy and to allow cross-device use, and they rely on the signup process to grab account info which the App Store doesn't give them.

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#72

Post by tomjen3 »

msbarnett wrote: post #43
rbritton wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't been able to find it -- does that requirement require that the price be the same for both methods? That is, can you charge in-app users $10 and non-app users $7 so the net is the same?

That's covered by guideline 11.13, which reads: "Apps can read or play approved content (magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, video) that is sold outside of the app, for which Apple will not receive any portion of the revenues, provided that the same content is also offered in the app using IAP at the same price or less than it is offered outside the app. This applies to both purchased content and subscription…

Many only shops will show a price that you pay, plus whatever it costs to get a credit card transaction.

You could do the same here, since it doesn't say "at the same price or less including all fees".

But then again Apple would properly just alter the rules.

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#73

Post by tomjen3 »

rprasad wrote: post #52
zemanel wrote: post #45

is this even legal? imagine Microsoft asking 30% of sales for Windows based apps ...

It depends. Apple is attempting to leverage its position in one market (hardware) to coerce another market (mobile applications). Under the historical antitrust analysis, this would have been a per se antitrust violation to even attempt this. Now, however, antitrust laws are no longer enforce. During the Bush administration,the DOJ's antitrust department was effectively gutted, and antitrust was moved close to the bo…

California is running out of money, so maybe they need some nice large anti-trust fines.

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#74

Post by tomjen3 »

Dylanlacey wrote: post #48
zemanel wrote: post #45

is this even legal? imagine Microsoft asking 30% of sales for Windows based apps ...

Of course it's legal. It's greedy, petty, consumer and developer hostile, and generally sucks. But they're allowed to set the rules for playing in their app store, just like schools are allowed to set rules about wearing your uniform correctly all the way home, parents can ground their children for complaining about their shitty parenting at another person's home, a company can make a contract which allows them to fi…

>just like schools are allowed to set rules about wearing your uniform correctly all the way home.

They can set whatever rules they like, but can they enforce them? I don't know if the school can enforce the uniform rule, though I imagine it would depend on whether it is a private or a public school.

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#75

Post by theBobMcCormick »

sahaj wrote: post #69
theBobMcCormick wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems like a particularly insane time for Apple to risk losing subscription apps like Netflix, Evernote, Kindle, etc. What with Android sells now far out-pacing iPhone sales and WP7 making a fair attempt at getting lets under itself. IMHO, they could have pulled this off a year or 2 ago because developers had nowhere else credible to turn. Now, they do.

I think Apple is counting on platform fragmentation to win here. Apple may be thinking that with WebOS, WP7, and Android, these big companies will probably get their biggest profits from Apple if Apple continues to be the biggest shareholder within the mobile platforms.

Unless I'm drastically misunderstanding the numbers, Apple already isn't the biggest shareholder in mobile platforms (http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/09/gartner-android-os-sales-tr...)

That's why I think this strategy is suicide for Apple. They can reach more users on Android without having to pay a 30% toll.

Re: TinyGrab abandons iOS because of new App Store rules

#76

Post by zemanel »

rprasad wrote: post #52
zemanel wrote: post #45

is this even legal? imagine Microsoft asking 30% of sales for Windows based apps ...

It depends. Apple is attempting to leverage its position in one market (hardware) to coerce another market (mobile applications). Under the historical antitrust analysis, this would have been a per se antitrust violation to even attempt this. Now, however, antitrust laws are no longer enforce. During the Bush administration,the DOJ's antitrust department was effectively gutted, and antitrust was moved close to the bo…

i'm counting at least on EU to throw a legal hammer on it someday. iOS is a platform/operating system and i see much danger in this. Can you picture TV networks asking for commissions on sales related to advertisement? Developers already have to pay (annual fee?) for deploying their applications on the appstore
Post reply on HN