Kobo / Apple purchasing changes

[fbrII]

Personally, though, I think that saying that the fact that you now buy books through Safari rather than the Kobo app has "rendered the iPad into a piece of junk" is a slight over-reaction. Have you actually tried it?

Actually I have not tried it but neither is it a temptation.

My viewpoint is, I bought a product with certain expectations. Apple has now changed those expectations, Apple made a choice to make their product less user friendly for their customers in order to increase what I would assume are already healthy profit margins.

They have a right to do so, just like they have a right to force you to sign new terms and conditions every other month, although you bought their product based on the terms and conditions in effect at the time of your purchase.

While they have the right to do these things they also have to accept the subsequent risk that some of their customers will get tired of their policies and say enough is enough.

In my case they lost a customer. I an very sure they can afford to lose me as a customer, but then I can also say with equal assurance I can afford to lose them and I have arrived at the point where I am happy to do so.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's your choice, of course. Personally, though, I think that saying that the fact that you now buy books through Safari rather than the Kobo app has "rendered the iPad into a piece of junk" is a slight over-reaction. Have you actually tried it?

I'm proud to say I don't own an iPad -- or any Apple product -- and don't expect to ever own any Apple product precisely because I don't want Stevie-boy deciding what is good and what is bad for me. At my age, I think I can manage to make those decisions myself. Besides, if it weren't for Apple we might not have agency pricing. Considering that Stevie believes reading is dead, the least he could have done is wholly ignored ebooks rather than making life more miserable for consumers.

[taming]

When it was time for me to buy a new mobile, I bought a Nexus S instead of an iPhone in part because of the announced planned changes regarding in-app purchases for iOS. If I decide to buy a tablet, it will not be an iPAD, for the same reason. Apple has developers/sellers over a barrel if they want to use the platform, but they don't have ordinary people like me there unless I value their product line more than I value my freedom to make choices that they might not like.

[Giggleton]

hmm, well Amazon allows for third party reading apps in their App store. Apple seems to be a bit short sighted in this respect since essentially all apps are simply an interface to the network, in the near future all reading will be done through a browser.

It feels like protectionism which is adverse to pure capitalism which is what we are striving to achieve yes?

Let us wait and see what Amazon provides with their tablet, if it is simply a slightly more functional nook, which would need to be unlocked to make it more useable...

But if the Amazon tablet is in fact going to be an open computing platform, which will allow for the creation of an infinite amount of bookstores...

On the other hand, if Amazon expands their affiliate marketing, turning every tablet user into an affiliate...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fbrII

Actually I have not tried it but neither is it a temptation.

My viewpoint is, I bought a product with certain expectations. Apple has now changed those expectations, Apple made a choice to make their product less user friendly for their customers in order to increase what I would assume are already healthy profit margins.

Can I clarify something here, please? You're saying that the one and only reason you bought an iPad was the fact that you could buy Kobo books through the Kobo app on the iPad, and the fact that you now have to buy books through the Safari browser has turned your iPad into a worthless piece of junk? Have I got that right?

[elcreative]

Yawn... again, repeat as needed for next anti-company rants or find an old thread and just duplicate...

[fbrII]

Can I clarify something here, please? You're saying that the one and only reason you bought an iPad was the fact that you could buy Kobo books through the Kobo app on the iPad, and the fact that you now have to buy books through the Safari browser has turned your iPad into a worthless piece of junk? Have I got that right?

I bought the iPad to be able to buy from different book sellers on one platform with equal ease and then read them on that same platform.

The change in policy makes the product less customer friendly without providing any offsetting benefits. It is only intent is to benefit Apple. Subsequently does that make it now less of a product in my eyes - yes definitely. Is it now a piece of junk? For me, yes, because I am not going to be using it any more. Is that my choice - definitely.

Obviously you feel its a minor inconvenience. I don't have a problem with that. For me its not how simple or difficult it is to make the change. It is the principle of being forced to accept an undesirable change to a product I already own, simply to benefit the manufacturer.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

hmm, well Amazon allows for third party reading apps in their App store. Apple seems to be a bit short sighted in this respect since essentially all apps are simply an interface to the network, in the near future all reading will be done through a browser.

Apple also allow for third party apps in their App store.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by fbrII

I bought the iPad to be able to buy from different book sellers on one platform with equal ease and then read them on that same platform.

The change in policy makes the product less customer friendly without providing any offsetting benefits. It is only intent is to benefit Apple. Subsequently does that make it now less of a product in my eyes - yes definitely. Is it now a piece of junk? For me, yes, because I am not going to be using it any more. Is that my choice - definitely.

Obviously you feel its a minor inconvenience. I don't have a problem with that. For me its not how simple or difficult it is to make the change. It is the principle of being forced to accept an undesirable change to a product I already own, simply to benefit the manufacturer.

So out of (justified) annoyance you cut yourself off from the use of property which cost you several hundred dollars? That's not rational. You should at least donate or sell it.

[fbrII]

That's not rational. You should at least donate or sell it.

I submit to both the conciseness and clarity of your argument

[taming]

In any case, Nook Kids has also removed the connection to their store and the Google books app has been pulled. It's the new way Apple wants it, so that's the way it will be.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by taming

In any case, Nook Kids has also removed the connection to their store and the Google books app has been pulled. It's the new way Apple wants it, so that's the way it will be.

That's the new way indeed.
Pay Apple 30% or sell nothing.
And News Corp just announced they are joining the "nothing" crowd:

Kobo, WSJ Halt Direct Sales on Apple-Device Apps

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...528618056.html

Via: THE DIGITAL READER blog
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...heir-ipad-app/

Considering how tight News Corp has been to iPad, this is significant.

Now to see who gets evicted (ala Google) next.
Amazon?

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

That's the new way indeed.
Pay Apple 30% or sell nothing.
And News Corp just announced they are joining the "nothing" crowd:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...528618056.html

Via: THE DIGITAL READER blog
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...heir-ipad-app/

Considering how tight News Corp has been to iPad, this is significant.

Now to see who gets evicted (ala Google) next.
Amazon?

Et Tu Brute.

I would suggest that Apple has zero legal recourse if suddenly only links to stories at least a month old relating to apple show up anymore on Google's search engine, and all sales links disappear.

I think it would be funny to watch this happen.

[fbrII]

My hope is that Amazon and B&N will pull their apps and cause Apple to back down. If Apple gets away with this I see the possibility of Amazon and B&N adapting similar policies using Apple as the excuse.

On the other hand there is also the equal chance someone sees an opportunity to gain share by capitalizing on Apple's mistake.

One can only hope.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by fbrII

I bought the iPad to be able to buy from different book sellers on one platform with equal ease and then read them on that same platform.

The change in policy makes the product less customer friendly without providing any offsetting benefits. It is only intent is to benefit Apple. Subsequently does that make it now less of a product in my eyes - yes definitely. Is it now a piece of junk? For me, yes, because I am not going to be using it any more. Is that my choice - definitely.

Obviously you feel its a minor inconvenience. I don't have a problem with that. For me its not how simple or difficult it is to make the change. It is the principle of being forced to accept an undesirable change to a product I already own, simply to benefit the manufacturer.

I fully appreciate your viewpoint, and obviously the decision is entirely yours to make.

Like you, I bought an iPad largely for the convenience of being able to read books from multiple sources, and, from my perspective, the new app-store rules don't change that in the slightest. I don't spend enough time buying books for it to concern me one jot whether I buy them from the reading app or from the web browser. Moreover, we've known about these changes for - what? 3 months? 6 months? A long time, whatever it is, so it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever that these app changes have been made.

It's obviously entirely your choice what you do with your iPad. Personally, as I say, these changes don't concern me in the least. We all have to make our own decisions in these matters.