Apple's eBook Store Probably Won't Belong to Apple

Kris777 · 07-31-2009, 03:24 PM

http://gizmodo.com/5327293/apples-eb...elong-to-apple

Although it wasn't the most enticing of the flurry of rumors floated in the FT's Apple tablet report, the claim that iTunes might grow an eBook arm certainly raised eyebrows. It turns out, though, Apple might actually outsource this one.

This from BusinessInsider, whose source eagerly pooped on the idea of an Apple-run book store:

The answer is no, according to a source connected to the e-book business. Based on our conversation with this person, it seems that any Kindle-killing the Apple tablet does will have to come from third-party e-book sellers, like Amazon (AMZN), Barnes & Noble (BKS), etc.

What pushes this over the line that divides quibbling counter-rumors from Real Interesting Things is a little story that's been unfolding over at Amazon as of late:

The device team has the job of making the most remarkable purpose-built reading device in the world. We are going to give the device team competition. We will make Kindle books, at the same $9.99 price points, available on the iPhone, and other mobile devices and other computing devices.

That's Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos, explaining his comfort with the idea of hardware from other companies—including Apple, which already tacitly supports Amazon eBooks by way of a Kindle iPhone app—sending customers to the Kindle store. In the absence of an in-house system, a Kindle app for the tablet just makes sense.

In other words, "Jeff Bezos' worst nightmare" might actually be Jeff Bezos, and not much of a nightmare at all. UPDATE: As commenters have noted, Apple's biggest precedent for something like this is Audible—an Amazon subsidiary. So!

Sonist · 07-31-2009, 03:52 PM

Gizmodo's speculation makes little sense. The Apple tablet is not going to be a dedicated reading device.

See the excerpt from the original source here.

ficbot · 07-31-2009, 04:01 PM

IF the Amazon Kindle bookstore was integrated with iTunes AND it was available world-wide, then I do think it would have the potential to really dominate the market. If you could manage your ebooks on the device of your choosing using iTunes features---playlists, cover flow etc---and read them on a proper sized device, it would be a killer 'app.' But the drawback of current ebook apps is that you need a wireless connection to add books and you cannot manually drag and drop your own content. An iTunes interface would fix that. So far though, Amazon has excluded all non-Americans. The increasing dominance of the America-only mindset in the ebook world alarms me very much and I worry that anything by Amazon is going to have this same restriction.

questionfear · 07-31-2009, 04:06 PM

I don't know for sure, but perhaps the issue is publishing copyrights? In the case of Amazon, they are a US-based company so they have a bit more clout with US publishers...just a theory.

Sonist · 07-31-2009, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by questionfear

I don't know for sure, but perhaps the issue is publishing copyrights? In the case of Amazon, they are a US-based company so they have a bit more clout with US publishers...just a theory.

Yep. Gizmodo's article is just stupid....

Abecedary · 07-31-2009, 05:08 PM

This article isn't even worth commenting on, so I won't.

Kali Yuga · 07-31-2009, 06:47 PM

Yeah, it's pretty bad. The author somehow missed Bezos' comments on Amazon's strategy: make money off of both the books and the reader independently. Dedicated e-book readers will be around for awhile, even if they are primarily used by the heavy readers (i.e. ones who buy 15+ books a year). It's mostly analysts who drool over reading books on the iPhone who fail to realize there will be a market for dedicated e-book readers for a long time.

However, I do think it's likely that Apple won't sell books through the iTunes store. Selling content for Apple is not a major source of profits; their model is to use the content to lure and tie users to the device. As long as other companies sell books for the iPhone, Apple doesn't have to do it and deal with tons of publishers in the process.

So I guess he may be right... purely by accident.

Kris777 · 07-31-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Selling content for Apple is not a major source of profits; their model is to use the content to lure and tie users to the device. As long as other companies sell books for the iPhone, Apple doesn't have to do it and deal with tons of publishers in the process.

So I guess he may be right... purely by accident.

I think it can be a good combination: Apple (hardware) + B&N (content)
against Amazon (Kindle+content)

pilotbob · 07-31-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abecedary

This article isn't even worth commenting on, so I won't.

Isn't commenting that you aren't going to comment actually a comment?

Sorry, I just had to ask.

BOb

Abecedary · 07-31-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Isn't commenting that you aren't going to comment actually a comment?

Sorry, I just had to ask.

BOb

I was actually going to end my comment with an "Oh crap!", but decided against it. Glad someone saw the meta-value in what I wrote.

Kali Yuga · 07-31-2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris777

I think it can be a good combination: Apple (hardware) + B&N (content)
against Amazon (Kindle+content)

Why bother? The iPhone 3.0 OS allows "in-app" purchases, so both Amazon and B&N ought to be able to integrate their e-book stores into new versions of their software.

Getting their books on the iTunes Store would then offer no real advantage, will add an extra layer to customer service and revenue collection, not to mention share customer information and buying habits with Apple.

Sounds pretty unnecessary to me....

Gideon · 08-01-2009, 01:41 AM

Yeah, I'm really hoping Apple doesn't enter the ebook market - at least on this tablet. They've been so anti-competitive on the iPhone already that I'm hoping they're willing to not sell books and let these other stores continue to operate.

Sonist · 08-01-2009, 03:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

Yeah, I'm really hoping Apple doesn't enter the ebook market - at least on this tablet. They've been so anti-competitive on the iPhone already that I'm hoping they're willing to not sell books and let these other stores continue to operate.

Yep, it looks like Apple will get smacked by the FCC over the GV thing....

I love Apple stuff, love their design and UI, but the iPhone is a closed world (although as to close Paradise as phones get:-) Even MS is more open than them.

Still, if anyone can do a tablet, it'd be Apple. And I, and a billion other people, will get one

Gideon · 08-01-2009, 04:56 AM

Yep, me too. I may have to sell my girlfriend to slavers to afford it but... well, we all have to make sacrifices.

07-31-2009, 03:24 PM	#1
Kris777 Banned Posts: 1,767 Karma: 2520493 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Nexus 7, jetBook-Lite, jetBook mini, Toshiba Thrive, JETBOOK COLOR	Apple's eBook Store Probably Won't Belong to Apple http://gizmodo.com/5327293/apples-eb...elong-to-apple Although it wasn't the most enticing of the flurry of rumors floated in the FT's Apple tablet report, the claim that iTunes might grow an eBook arm certainly raised eyebrows. It turns out, though, Apple might actually outsource this one. This from BusinessInsider, whose source eagerly pooped on the idea of an Apple-run book store: The answer is no, according to a source connected to the e-book business. Based on our conversation with this person, it seems that any Kindle-killing the Apple tablet does will have to come from third-party e-book sellers, like Amazon (AMZN), Barnes & Noble (BKS), etc. What pushes this over the line that divides quibbling counter-rumors from Real Interesting Things is a little story that's been unfolding over at Amazon as of late: The device team has the job of making the most remarkable purpose-built reading device in the world. We are going to give the device team competition. We will make Kindle books, at the same $9.99 price points, available on the iPhone, and other mobile devices and other computing devices. That's Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos, explaining his comfort with the idea of hardware from other companies—including Apple, which already tacitly supports Amazon eBooks by way of a Kindle iPhone app—sending customers to the Kindle store. In the absence of an in-house system, a Kindle app for the tablet just makes sense. In other words, "Jeff Bezos' worst nightmare" might actually be Jeff Bezos, and not much of a nightmare at all. UPDATE: As commenters have noted, Apple's biggest precedent for something like this is Audible—an Amazon subsidiary. So!

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07-31-2009, 03:52 PM	#2
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	Gizmodo's speculation makes little sense. The Apple tablet is not going to be a dedicated reading device. See the excerpt from the original source here.

07-31-2009, 04:01 PM	#3
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	IF the Amazon Kindle bookstore was integrated with iTunes AND it was available world-wide, then I do think it would have the potential to really dominate the market. If you could manage your ebooks on the device of your choosing using iTunes features---playlists, cover flow etc---and read them on a proper sized device, it would be a killer 'app.' But the drawback of current ebook apps is that you need a wireless connection to add books and you cannot manually drag and drop your own content. An iTunes interface would fix that. So far though, Amazon has excluded all non-Americans. The increasing dominance of the America-only mindset in the ebook world alarms me very much and I worry that anything by Amazon is going to have this same restriction.

07-31-2009, 04:06 PM	#4
questionfear Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 1516 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle 3	I don't know for sure, but perhaps the issue is publishing copyrights? In the case of Amazon, they are a US-based company so they have a bit more clout with US publishers...just a theory.

07-31-2009, 05:08 PM	#6
Abecedary Exwyzeeologist Posts: 535 Karma: 3261 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: :PRS-505::iPod touch:	This article isn't even worth commenting on, so I won't.

07-31-2009, 06:47 PM	#7
Kali Yuga Professional Contrarian Posts: 2,045 Karma: 3289631 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie	Yeah, it's pretty bad. The author somehow missed Bezos' comments on Amazon's strategy: make money off of both the books and the reader independently. Dedicated e-book readers will be around for awhile, even if they are primarily used by the heavy readers (i.e. ones who buy 15+ books a year). It's mostly analysts who drool over reading books on the iPhone who fail to realize there will be a market for dedicated e-book readers for a long time. However, I do think it's likely that Apple won't sell books through the iTunes store. Selling content for Apple is not a major source of profits; their model is to use the content to lure and tie users to the device. As long as other companies sell books for the iPhone, Apple doesn't have to do it and deal with tons of publishers in the process. So I guess he may be right... purely by accident.

08-01-2009, 01:41 AM	#12
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Yeah, I'm really hoping Apple doesn't enter the ebook market - at least on this tablet. They've been so anti-competitive on the iPhone already that I'm hoping they're willing to not sell books and let these other stores continue to operate.

08-01-2009, 04:56 AM	#14
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Yep, me too. I may have to sell my girlfriend to slavers to afford it but... well, we all have to make sacrifices.

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