Kindle Touch 3G: kindle for ipad

Monday, July 25, 2011

Kindle books still readable on Apple devices but Buy button removed -- 100 newspapers + magazines now readable via Kindle Apple app

KINDLE BUY BUTTON REMOVED FROM APPLE DEVICES

Amazon explained today (along with Barnes and Noble, Kobo and others) that offering books via a 'Buy' button within a app on an Apple device will no longer be done.

' The Amazon Kindle team says:
(AMAZON OFFICIAL)
Initial post: Jul 25, 2011 8:17:43 AM PDT

We wanted to let you know that we've updated our Kindle app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. The big change is that you can now use the Kindle app to read over 100 Kindle newspapers and magazines including the Economist, as well as share favorite passages from your reading via Facebook and Twitter.

In order to comply with recent policy changes by Apple, we've also removed the "Kindle Store" link from within the app that opened Safari and took you to the Kindle Store.

You can still shop as you always have - just open Safari and go to www.amazon.com/kindlestore. If you want, you can bookmark that URL. Your Kindle books will be delivered automatically to your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, just as before.

Thank you,

The Kindle Team '

Apple did 'soften' its rules (or face the DOJ?) to nominally allow e-readers to allow apps to increase the product price by 30% to give Apple the entire profit margin of a book (it's assumed by all the articles that Apple wanted that full 30%).
But Amazon is not likely to want the customer to think Amazon is raising the price that high.

In the meantime, the 30% share that Apple wanted is exactly the entire profit Amazon, B&N, or Kobo would make from a sales of any of the Big6 publishers' books, by Apple's own 'Agency' model used (and which Steve Jobs encouraged the publishers to use in place of traditional wholesaler models).

So, Apple wanted 100% of the online-bookstores' take on books that would be bought from a link to an external site within the app -- or those vendors would have to offer the customer the option to buy a book at the same price from Apple instead and therefore make $0.00 profit from a sale after Apple's take.

In my February 24 blog article, I explained the title: Why Kindle books will be readable & sync'd on Apple devices no matter what.

Also, for the first time, Kindle users can do something on the Apple devices that they've been able to do on Android devices for months

' Read over 100 newspapers and magazines including The Economist and Reader's Digest with high resolution color images. Visit the Kindle Store to subscribe to a newspaper or magazine and have each edition automatically delivered, or purchase individual issues ... '

According to Cnet's David Carnoy, Kobo CEO Michael Serbinis said recently, during a visit to CNet offices:

' "Aside from not having any links to an e-bookstore," Serbinis said, "you can't even mention your Web site or explain to readers from within the app how to purchase books and get them onto the device. It's very simple to do, but some people downloading the app for the first time might not figure it out."

... But at least Apple has allowed e-reading apps from other companies to remain in the App Store. You can choose to see that as a magnanimous gesture--or not. '

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

July 1 and Kindle for iPad still has a Buy Button - UPDATE

Appolicious' Phil Hornshaw points out that the Kindle 4 iPad app still shows a Buy button and no option for in-app purchase after the June 30 deadline for removal.

He wonders (me too) "Did the two companies reach some kind of deal, or [was] Apple unwilling to chuck such a popular app as Kindle?" (See UPDATE.)

We saw that Hulu removed any statement about being able to subscribe to its Hulu Plus and no longer have a link to Hulu's website. A few others left the app store. Hornshaw wonders also whther Holu might try to 'change back' now.

Apple and Amazon have been silent. The day is young though.

I think they probably made a deal -- they both benefit from this too much not to, but you never know with either of these companies. How will other companies with apps react if Apple seems not to have enforced the much-discussed rule in this case?

UPDATE - Original post was July 1.
Macworld's Dan Moren and Lex Friedman report that "sources tell Macworld that the deadline was less of a hard-and-fast date than a rough target for bringing apps into line with the new policy."

They also report that Netflix "sidestepped the restriction" in a way that I had said Amazon certainly could.

Netflix added a note on the image of its log-in screen that says to "Visit netflix.com" to sign up if you're not already a member -- WITHOUT a Link.
Just the Url showing, with no active link. There's never been a reason that this shouldn't work unless Apple mgmt didn't mind that Apple would look quite weak then, which it would if app developers could not even give the UNlinked-URL of their own websites.

In the meantime, as of today, the apps for Google Books and for Barnes & Noble still have active links to their own stores. Macworld writes:

' However, Macworld’s sources can confirm that Apple has been working with various prominent developers to help them ensure their apps comply with the in-app content policies; expect to see updates to these apps in the near future. '

June 30, 2011 was a 'deadline' for legacy e-reader apps, and if nothing else, it has been a very soft one after all the warnings. For all we know, Google, B&N and Amazon decided, together or alone, to resist and let Apple get the ensuing media play if it tossed their bookstore apps from the iPad.

There's also the virtual certainty now that Amazon will be out with its tablets that will be connected to a very strong Amazon ecosystem of streaming media as well as video-enhanced books, and maybe for once Apple will want to even consider making its own iBooks available OUTSIDE its own system, on an Amazon tablet, on which Amazon's massive base of customers will be able to visit Apple's iTunes

Apple is the ONLY major bookstore which sells e-books that cannot be read on other devices, unlike Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobe, and Amazon.

Apple also already has links from Amazon to iPad pages for features like the British Library books in enhanced version, and the Amazon Kindle store includes enhanced Kindle books, the features of which can be used ONLY with the Kindle for iPad app currently.

They are at least potential "partners" on certain features, if battling ones, including 'disagreements' such as Apple's lawsuit against Amazon for using the "appstore" word for Amazon Appstore for Android, because, Apple asserts, the word 'Appstore' would 'confuse' people and make them think they were on the Apple site.
For all its financial success, Apple often acts like an insecure youngster.

Maybe they'll all just allow portions of their audiences to co-exist on all tablets rather than only Android, WebOS, Windows7, or RIM tablets allowing this while Apple just spends time, alone, in its heavily fortified garden. (The NookColor is another walled-off system and, "unrooted," allows only certain apps rather than the full Android Marketplace and is not a full-fledged tablet, as sold. I own one and it's very enjoyable for what it is. For one thing, Youtube is great on it! since the last update.)

I don't think Apple is self-destructively narrow. But, I often give them too much credit when it comes to playing well with others.

For daily free ebooks, check the following links:

Most Popular Free K-Books
U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):
Top 100 free
UK-Only:
Top 100 free
USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, currently):
99c Notepad 1.1, 99c Calculator,
99c Calendar, 99c Converter

Kindle 3's (UK: Kindle 3's) K3 Special ($114) K3-3G Special ($164) DX Graphite