Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#31

Post by matwood » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:43 PM UTC

Hyena wrote: post #27

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…

Amazon pays Apple $100/year to host the Kindle app, and only the app. All of the books that someone may buy sit on Amazons servers that they host and distribute. Amazon also manages its own payment infrastructure and everything else that deals with getting a book into the Kindle app. Both companies benefit from having the Kindle app in the app store. Apple gets to brag about how many apps are for sale for iOS devices (thus sell more devices), and Amazon gets to sell books.

We could always look at it from Amazons POV. They are providing the content that makes iOS devices more desirable for consumers. Why isn't Apple giving them a cut of each device sold?

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#32

Post by PetrolMan » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:47 PM UTC

msh wrote: post #14

Depressing. This stuff makes me want to get a different tablet. The problems is that IMHO no other tablet is currently competitive with the ipad 2 I own. At least I am in the market for a phone, it will properly be a android phone this time...

Not in the vein of the topic but I figured I'd throw in my two cents: I just bought the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and I'm really incredibly happy. I haven't used an iPad extensively but from a basic standpoint of having a useful tablet device I think I made a good decision.

I'd say the only major difference is in app universe but to be honest I think the form factor reduces the need for apps. Just some thoughts.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#33

Post by fpgeek » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:47 PM UTC

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".

Breaking the user experience for competitive apps and not even allowing them to explain why goes far beyond encouraging people to use in-app purchase.

For that matter, using in-app purchase is only favorable to users who stay entirely within the Apple ecosystem. One serious objection Amazon et al had to in-app purchase is that it (by design for privacy reasons, IIRC) didn't allow them to connect the dots between an iTunes account and an Amazon account, so they wouldn't have been able to give you access to your iOS-purchased ebooks on non-Apple devices. For that matter, they wouldn't have been able to give you access to your ebooks on a Mac for the same reason, which is particularly hilarious because Apple doesn't provide iBooks for Mac either (IIRC, you can buy but not read on the desktop).

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#34

Post by matwood » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:48 PM UTC

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.

The real standing up would be if Amazon had refused to remove the link and let Apple reject and/or pull the Kindle app.

Exactly. I was hoping that Amazon and the other large content providers would simply call Apples bluff. Let Apple shoot itself in the foot and remove all the big content reasons that people buy iOS devices to start with.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#35

Post by tybris » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:49 PM UTC

Hyena wrote: post #27

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…

Google invests in Chrome. People use Chrome to buy things from web shops. Should web shops pay Google for this privilege? Are web shops immoral? I thought I paid for an app platform. Not a secret Apple sales platform.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#36

Post by ConstantineXVI » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:50 PM UTC

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?

Interesting, seems the preview pages suddenly aren't showing reviews for any of the afflicted apps (Kindle, Nook, Kobo).

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#37

Post by brianb722 » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:51 PM UTC

It's Apple's platform, they can do what they want with it. The market (including consumers, developers, and entrepreneurs) will decide whether their rules are good things or bad things. Long term, if Apple doesn't continue to foster development on its platform the developers will leave and then (eventually) the customers will follow.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#38

Post by jleard » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:53 PM UTC

Hyena wrote: post #27

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…

The problem with Apple's position is that they provide no easy method for the user to download applications outside of their delivery channel.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#39

Post by cgranade » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 7:55 PM UTC

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…

I remember at one point, Apple forbid pricing things higher on iOS' App Store to compensate for the 30% cut. Is that still the case? If so, then Amazon's choices are a lot narrower: kill the link or kill the app.

Re: Amazon removes link to Kindle store from iOS app

#40

Post by GiraffeNecktie » Mon, Jul 25, 2011, 8:27 PM UTC

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…

Don't forget that Amazon has already worked out their margins for books and spent a long time convincing publishers to list most books under ten dollars. Along comes Apple and demands 30% off the gross. I don't know if Amazon had any choice but to remove the store.