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

Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

itunes.apple.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 63 posts

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#21

Post by recoiledsnake »

dean wrote: post #18
bradshaw1965 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no stand. Apple required it. Same thing happened to Kobo.

I realize Apple required it. But Amazon still had a choice. They could have complied with Apple's rules and paid 30% of their revenue to Apple for ebooks sold from within the app. And passed the price increase on to consumers. I view it as standing up to Apple that Amazon did not do this. I think this will be better, if a little inconvenient, for consumers in the long run because it will ultimately keep ebook prices…

The real standing up would be if Amazon had refused to remove the link and let Apple reject and/or pull the Kindle app. Then the ire of people unable to read their Kindle books would be directed at Apple.

This action by Amazon seems to be capitulation since there was no way that the in app purchasing system would support so many hundred thousands of books anyway.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#22

Post by buro9 »

dchest wrote: post #10

Don't forget to read customer reviews. Depressing.

I can't see them... but then, I don't have iTunes on any of the computers I own (not even on the Mac).

Are they within iTunes and the iStore? Or is there a web link I'm failing to spot that will let me read them?

Alternatively, could you cut and paste a couple of examples here so we could see what's being said?

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#23

Post by MatthewPhillips »

recoiledsnake wrote: post #21
dean wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realize Apple required it. But Amazon still had a choice. They could have complied with Apple's rules and paid 30% of their revenue to Apple for ebooks sold from within the app. And passed the price increase on to consumers. I view it as standing up to Apple that Amazon did not do this. I think this will be better, if a little inconvenient, for consumers in the long run because it will ultimately keep ebook prices…

The real standing up would be if Amazon had refused to remove the link and let Apple reject and/or pull the Kindle app. Then the ire of people unable to read their Kindle books would be directed at Apple. This action by Amazon seems to be capitulation since there was no way that the in app purchasing system would support so many hundred thousands of books anyway.

Agreed. Instead the ire will be directed at Amazon as users will be confused on how to buy books. I guess they figured it was a better move than allow the app to be pulled (implementing IAP was probably economically untenable).

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#24

Post by bradshaw1965 »

dean wrote: post #18
bradshaw1965 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no stand. Apple required it. Same thing happened to Kobo.

I realize Apple required it. But Amazon still had a choice. They could have complied with Apple's rules and paid 30% of their revenue to Apple for ebooks sold from within the app. And passed the price increase on to consumers. I view it as standing up to Apple that Amazon did not do this. I think this will be better, if a little inconvenient, for consumers in the long run because it will ultimately keep ebook prices…

Here is a post from a Kobo developer outlining their experience with their store. It doesn't sound like there was any room for taking a stand in their case and that they got boxed into not being able to communicate anything about their product. It does sound like there may be a different set of rules for different apps enforced capriciously but I doubt it had much about Amazon taking a stand.

http://quatermain.tumblr.com/post/8045895465/my-review-of-th...

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#25

Post by recoiledsnake »

buro9 wrote: post #22
dchest wrote: post #10

Don't forget to read customer reviews. Depressing.

I can't see them... but then, I don't have iTunes on any of the computers I own (not even on the Mac). Are they within iTunes and the iStore? Or is there a web link I'm failing to spot that will let me read them? Alternatively, could you cut and paste a couple of examples here so we could see what's being said?

Strange, I was able to read them in the main link just a bit earlier but now cannot.

Anyway the reviews were all asking and complaining about Amazon removing the link. The reviewers don't seem know that Apple threatened to pull the Kindle app if the links to the Kindle web store weren't removed.

Looks like Amazon is taking the blame on this one.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#26

Post by paperpunk »

smackfu wrote: post #19

The sad thing is that Apple is the kind of company that is deciding to be evil, rather than just doing it accidentally. I'm sure they calculated that they would make more money by enforcing these harmful rules than the good will they would lose, so they did it anyway.

I don't really think so. Whether they're right or not, the people making these decisions at Apple aren't doing them to make more money (or at least, not just that), but because they believe it's better for users.

In this particular case, that to encourage people as far as possible to use the in-app purchases system is more favourable to the users.

It seems much more likely than "deciding to be evil".

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#27

Post by Hyena »

Just to play devil's advocate: Apple pays for the infrastructure to host and distribute the Kindle app, which then proceeds to circumvent the payment system by offering the app for free and charging for the content from outside the Apple store.

While this set up is clever and 30% is a bit of a margin on in-app purchases, it's not as if Amazon has the moral high ground here. It's providing a paid service through Apple in a way that allows Amazon to collect on it but not Apple. That's all that's happening here.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#28

Post by Perceval »

Aloisius wrote: post #8

I'm waiting for Apple to require all things bought through Macs to use Apple's payment system. I mean right now, millions of dollars of products are being purchased on websites being viewed on Macs. Clearly Apple should get 30%. I'm sure it'll be huge. (and screw Karma with this one... Apple appears just greedy and downright anti-competitive doing this)

Please don't include passive grubbing for upvotes as a coda to your comments. If you have something to say, even if it's controversial, have the courage to say it plainly without projecting anxiety about karma (of all things).

It's insulting by implication to the community here that expressing a contrary but constructive and well-written opinion would become a crisis for your karma. For the most part, other readers can differentiate between constructive comments they disagree with and spammers, griefers, trolls, crapflooders, and trivial one-liners.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#29

Post by dean »

recoiledsnake wrote: post #21
dean wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realize Apple required it. But Amazon still had a choice. They could have complied with Apple's rules and paid 30% of their revenue to Apple for ebooks sold from within the app. And passed the price increase on to consumers. I view it as standing up to Apple that Amazon did not do this. I think this will be better, if a little inconvenient, for consumers in the long run because it will ultimately keep ebook prices…

The real standing up would be if Amazon had refused to remove the link and let Apple reject and/or pull the Kindle app. Then the ire of people unable to read their Kindle books would be directed at Apple. This action by Amazon seems to be capitulation since there was no way that the in app purchasing system would support so many hundred thousands of books anyway.

That's a fair point. It would have been nice to see something like that.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#30

Post by tybris »

paperpunk wrote: post #26
smackfu wrote: post #19

The sad thing is that Apple is the kind of company that is deciding to be evil, rather than just doing it accidentally. I'm sure they calculated that they would make more money by enforcing these harmful rules than the good will they would lose, so they did it anyway.

I don't really think so. Whether they're right or not, the people making these decisions at Apple aren't doing them to make more money (or at least, not just that), but because they believe it's better for users. In this particular case, that to encourage people as far as possible to use the in-app purchases system is more favourable to the users. It seems much more likely than "deciding to be evil".

I can envision the board meeting now: "It's so much better for our users if we take 30% of the earnings on every sale".

No.

Post reply on HN