Apple Rejects 'Sony Reader' From App Store, 'Kindle' Removal Next?

[blu3]

Apple's response makes this conversation so much more interesting:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2...furor-says-it-wants-a-cut-of-e-book-sales.ars

 

[3goldens]

It will be approved at some point, they'll comply with the regulation resubmit and it will be approved.

Then this thread and the NY Times article will be invalid!

Y'all waste your time on really silly subjects!

 

[alent1234]

that's the nice thing about idevices. the apps are downloaded to my laptop and i can backup the .ipa file and still use it on my iphone even if apple bans the app

 

[Laird Knox]

This REALLY posses me off for some reason.

Giddy up der pardner! I say we head em off at the pass.

 

[Daveoc64]

.. Apple should ask Sony to put a version of the iBook bookstore app on all of Sony's Readers.

For free.

And with no revenue sharing with Sony.

And see if Sony rejects it.

C.

Terrible example.

Sony has its own eBook store.

BUT they also let you use eBooks from a wide variety of other competing stores on their devices (with DRM).

If the iBookstore was more open they might actually support it.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

Apple presumably won't:

1) allow such a notice

Hard to see how they could stop it if its part of the book price details sent down to the iPad. Or do Apple inspect every byte sent by content providers now?

2) allow Amazon to charge less for a book bought through the web browser than through the app.

Amazon presumably won't just give away 30% of book prices to Apple either. Neither for that matter will the publishers

Do you think Apple would allow Amazon to work around this policy by setting the price for all in-app purchases to a million dollars? Didn't think so.

No, I think they will work around it as I indicated. They already do this for situations where they are not allowed to discount books, they make sure the purchaser knows why the high price.

It always amuses me when someone posts a response with something like "errrm" (implying that the post being responded to is stupid), and then responds with a post that is itself so off-the-mark.

It always amuses me when someone posts a ludicrous strawman argument such as "Oh do you think Amazon will charge a million dollars then."

No, as I wrote, i think they notify purchasers of the higher price. In the rather strange case that APple start inspecting Amazon content and removing any wording they disagree with (that you propose), I suspect they will simply withdraw the ability to purchase via the app, even as a 'breakout' browser session (its still there via a seperate browser session unless Apple are monitoring that as well, will Safari have a "no Kindle content" plug in???) or if Apple start totally disallowing any content not bought through them, then kiss goodbye to iPad purchasers except for the most die-hard fanbois.

 

[milani]

Wow, it's funny how this whole issue exists solely because of one lazy journalist at NYTimes.

Sony failed to follow the clear and explicit guidelines. If you are going to sell goods IN your app then you have to EITHER use Apple's in-app purchases API OR you can do what every other developer has been doing all along and send users to the browser to complete the purchase.

Of course, Amazon and B&N have used the latter method all along, which explains why they were not rejected from the App Store at the point of original submission nor at any time since. It's also the same strategy that other, non-ebook related apps have used.

There is no issue other than that Sony didn't read the guideline and then cried fowl when they were rightly pointed out to have violated the guideline. The only criticism that can be made of Apple is for having an awful and ambiguous PR statement in response to this non-issue.

 

[HiRez]

A 20:1 negative ratio, that's amazing and I don't think I've ever seen anything that low on any MacRumors article in the 6+ years I've been on this site. I don't even think it was that low when Jobs was having surgery.

 

[cmaier]

Hard to see how they could stop it if its part of the book price details sent down to the iPad. Or do Apple inspect every byte sent by content providers now?



Amazon presumably won't just give away 30% of book prices to Apple either. Neither for that matter will the publishers



No, I think they will work around it as I indicated. They already do this for situations where they are not allowed to discount books, they make sure the purchaser knows why the high price.



It always amuses me when someone posts a ludicrous strawman argument such as "Oh do you think Amazon will charge a million dollars then."

No, as I wrote, i think they notify purchasers of the higher price. In the rather strange case that APple start inspecting Amazon content and removing any wording they disagree with (that you propose), I suspect they will simply withdraw the ability to purchase via the app, even as a 'breakout' browser session (its still there via a seperate browser session unless Apple are monitoring that as well, will Safari have a "no Kindle content" plug in???) or if Apple start totally disallowing any content not bought through them, then kiss goodbye to iPad purchasers except for the most die-hard fanbois.

You are writing crazy things. The moment Apple finds out Amazon is doing any of what you're saying, the app is banned. You really think Apple wouldn't find out, or if they did find out that they would let it happen?

And yes, of course Amazon will charge the same price and eat the cost. To do so they will likely have to raise prices across-the-board, which will make iBooks more competitive. That's Apple's whole strategy with this.

Amazon's only alternative will be to ditch the iPhone app or, perhaps, to not "kick out to a web-browser" - presumably Apple has no beef if you buy amazon books from your web browser on another computer.

 

[technowizard]

.... Apple should just ditch their iBooks app and adopt Kindle - then you'd have the best device and the best bookstore together.

Are You being Serious?

As far as reading is concerned, the Kindle (device) is a FAR better reading experience than the iPad, the iPad/iPhone is not even close to being the best device for that purpose.

 

[ArchaicRevival]

Hey that NC Data Center came with a price! If you want Mobile me and maybe free hosting for the next iWeb update, they have to make money somehow




I don't know what the hell i'm talking about (smiley face)

 

[unlinked]

A 20:1 negative ratio, that's amazing and I don't think I've ever seen anything that low on any MacRumors article in the 6+ years I've been on this site. I don't even think it was that low when Jobs was having surgery.

I don't know why. This is exactly what I expect from Apple when it comes to iOS. People who buy iPhones are more like renters than owners. I'll stick with my MacBook and Android thank you very much.

 

[cmaier]

I don't know why. This is exactly what I expect from Apple when it comes to iOS. People who buy iPhones are more like renters than owners. I'll stick with my MacBook and Android thank you very much.

When the pipes burst, the roof blows off and the driveway needs repair, I'd much prefer to be a renter and let the owner deal with the mess.

 

[unlinked]

When the pipes burst, the roof blows off and the driveway needs repair, I'd much prefer to be a renter and let the owner deal with the mess.

Each has its own advantages. I just think it is a bit late for people to be acting surprised that there are downsides to letting Apple control their phones.

 

[alent1234]

When the pipes burst, the roof blows off and the driveway needs repair, I'd much prefer to be a renter and let the owner deal with the mess.

but when you're 70 and don't want to work anymore the rent still has to be paid. you can never pay it off like a mortgage

 

[michaelcyee]

When the pipes burst, the roof blows off and the driveway needs repair, I'd much prefer to be a renter and let the owner deal with the mess.

That analogy doesn't quite work since you have to pay Apple or whoever to service your iDevice if it does break or something goes wrong.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I can smell Apple getting into legal trouble over this and yet another reason not to trust Apple.

Pshaw!

How could Apple possibly get into trouble? They're a tiny insignificant company in the computer industry with no clout and therefore no possibility of breaching anti-trust legislation or anything else. They own the operating system and therefore they are allowed to dictate 100% to you what you can and cannot buy, what you can and cannot access and generally what you can and cannot do on everything they sell. You have no rights as a consumer under U.S. law and therefore everything Corporations do is 100% legal and above-board not to mention moral (since they OWN it and you don't! You only have a limited license to use their software so that means you don't have any rights what-so-ever).

So all you whiners out there (Come on! What's this 1297 negative to 60 positive I'm seeing as I read this?) need to get over yourselves. Where's the fanatical fanboy praise for Apple??? Come on guys! You've been berating me for years with arguments about how great everything Apple does is and how they know best and how they're a great company because they make huge profits screwing you over and profit is the bottom line in life and the only reason for living!

This is Capitalism baby! Love it or leave this country for for some Communist regime now! Why should consumers have any rights or say in what they buy? Why shouldn't corporations run the world? If you can't make it to the top, you deserve to get stepped on at the bottom! If you cannot afford health care, you should just not get sick!! Those that make over $250,000 a year should get huge tax breaks, but you should lose your health care so your employers can save money and make more profit at your expense! Don't buy into that socialism garbage! What I earn at $250 an hour is my money. If you cannot get a job that pays that much you deserve to be poor! Don't tax me, though. I keep you in your job! Without me, you don't even have a job and if you tax me or force me to offer health care or better working conditions, I will simply take your job away and move my business to China!

The iBookstore is by far the absolute worst digital bookstore on the market. And that should be a bit of a black eye for Apple, since the iPad was supposed to slay the Kindle (originally).

Still, they've done nothing to change that. No significant announcements and, as far as I can tell, no effort to procure more content since the iPad launched. The iBookstore may well be Apple's biggest failure of the last decade. It is a joke.

I used to believe the same thing about Blu-Ray for OSX. The iTunes store offers almost nothing in HD (and at 720p only at that) by comparison to the titles available for 1080p Blu-Ray so how could it possibly benefit Apple to keep Mac users from having access to Blu-Ray on their machines? How could it possibly worth damaging the Mac's reputation and giving Windows users something to laugh at just to try and push almost non-existent sales from the iTunes store???

Then I saw the light brother! Steve Jobs knows what he's doing! Apple is making loads of cash so that means everything they do is 100% RIGHT! I was so wrong to question the lack of Blu-Ray on OSX! iTunes is the future baby and even if there's nothing to buy for another 10 years, Steve is making the right move trying to force as many people as possible to buy from the iTunes store anyway! People will love him for it!!! Oh yes. Steve is the man! Do not question the Almighty Jobs!

 

[cmaier]

That analogy doesn't quite work since you have to pay Apple or whoever to service your iDevice if it does break or something goes wrong.

I've owned 2 of every model iPhone and iPad since the start, and had several replacements due to breakage, and never paid a dime. I walk in, hand the Genius my phone, and walk out with a new one.

 

[Glideslope]

Apple will not pull the Kindle or NOOK apps. This is a middle finger at Sony.

Sony simply made it easy for Apple to flip them the bird by choosing the wrong nesting material.

 

[Glideslope]

Wow, it's funny how this whole issue exists solely because of one lazy journalist at NYTimes.

Sony failed to follow the clear and explicit guidelines. If you are going to sell goods IN your app then you have to EITHER use Apple's in-app purchases API OR you can do what every other developer has been doing all along and send users to the browser to complete the purchase.

Of course, Amazon and B&N have used the latter method all along, which explains why they were not rejected from the App Store at the point of original submission nor at any time since. It's also the same strategy that other, non-ebook related apps have used.

There is no issue other than that Sony didn't read the guideline and then cried fowl when they were rightly pointed out to have violated the guideline. The only criticism that can be made of Apple is for having an awful and ambiguous PR statement in response to this non-issue.

Thank you. There is hope yet.

 

[buzzword]

Boneheaded move on Apple's part

Apple is starting to make those Samsung Android tablets look mighy appealing.

If Apple removes the Kindle app I'm selling my iPad, it's a b*llsh*t move on their part and definitley overreaching. It the equivalent of an Apple Tax.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

Y

you are writing crazy things. The moment Apple finds out Amazon is doing any of what you're saying, the app is banned. You really think Apple wouldn't find out, or if they did find out that they would let it happen?

And you think its not crazy that you think its normal that Apple would censor in-app information such as prices? Amazon already publish a list of prices, for hardback, paperback, kindle all they would need to do is add one line, apple Kindle price. On what grounds would Apple remove that and why stop there, how about removing negative content regarding Apple on newsfeeds??

And yes, of course Amazon will charge the same price and eat the cost. To do so they will likely have to raise prices across-the-board, which will make iBooks more competitive. That's Apple's whole strategy with this.

.

"of course" ??? I think that is incredibly unlikely, since ebooks are currently often at prices equating to paperbooks or even higher, raise the prices an additional 30% higher, to where many would be double the cost of a paperback and there would be a firestorm in the Kindle community, not to mention what would it do to Kindle book sales? Nuke them overnight. There is no way they want to damage that success story.

Far more likely that Amazon would just withdraw the app. Bear in mind the public statements I've seen say that Apple wont let any paid for content appear unless it was purchased via Apple, its about far more than which API is used.

Of course, the NYT may turn out to be incorrect or there may need to be some furious Apple spokesman backpedalling. I cant recall the last time I saw such negativity on an Apple forum, and whilst in the long term Apple must know that Android tablets will take dominant market position, why would they want to hasten that time?

 

[wippler]

I understand many of you are worried about your Kindle books and its future, but as a person who doesn't read many books - I don't have much of a concern.

But I'm more worried about my Domino's app, do they have to increase the pizza price to give Apple 30% cut - I am already paying the 2$ delivery charge and this further increase would significantly reduce my pizza eating.

/sarcasm/

 

[AidenShaw]

But I'm more worried about my Domino's app, do they have to increase the pizza price to give Apple 30% cut - I am already paying the 2$ delivery charge and this further increase would significantly reduce my pizza eating.

I'd worry that since the last CEO of Apple was a vegan, that the Domino's app would be stripped of any meat or cheese options for the pizzas.

 

[cmaier]

I'd worry that since the last CEO of Apple was a vegan, that the Domino's app would be stripped of any meat or cheese options for the pizzas.

The mere fact that anyone considers Domino's "pizza" is what worries me.