Quote:
Originally Posted by tomsem
Reading apps can certainly remove the button that launches their storefronts in the browser, and presumably they can include some information on 'How to purchase ebooks', which might well just say 'copy this URL and paste it into the address bar of your browser and then bookmark it', if not 'click this button to install a bookmark on your desktop.' Once that is done it will be nearly as easy to get to the storefront as before, if not easier since you won't need to launch the reader app to get there. Storefronts can also have a web app that you install to Home Screen.
But to the minimal extent that this inconveniences users, it is all due to Apple's policy, not some technology issue that can be blamed on the vendor. It becomes an iOS user experience issue, and one not found on competing platforms. If their goal is to divert more sales to iBookstore, I don't think it will have that effect. To the extent that users understand the issue, it reflects poorly on Apple. So why are they doing this?
|
The situation will simply be exactly like movies. You can play movies on your iOS devices from either Netflix or Itunes, but you can also buy or rent movies from iTunes. There is no way to rent a movie or subscribe from the Netflix app. Its a pure player app. If you want to subscribe to Netflix, you go on the web. Netflix is totally OK with that, and the number of people using Netflix on iOS devices is growing by leaps and bounds.
Similarly, the ABC TV and HBO Ipad apps are only about playing content. You sign up for HBO through your cable provider.
In short, this model works fine for other media. It can work for ebooks.
As for why Apple is doing this, you should remember that Apple doesn't have to allow third party ebook store/ reader apps on its platform at all. These apps compete directly with its iBookstore, which isn't allowed on dedicated ereader devices. In doing this, Apple will give its home-built app on advantage . From a business standpoint, that just makes sense. No one here objects to Amazon, BN, and Kobo closing their devices to iBooks, or argues that consumers are shortchanged by that.