Quote:
Originally Posted by stonetools
The point is that Apple (and Android) allow the booksellers to access the books on those platforms (Not sure about Blackberry).
Amazon, Kobo, B&N do not allow Ibooks on their devices. Dunno why that is, but there is an imbalance there.
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Nice reversal of the argument. The point is not that dedicated devices from one seller cannot read eBooks from another seller's store - but that Apple's store will not sell to anyone who does not own one of their devices.
Buying a gadget that only supports certain formats is one thing, not selling to people who don't own your device is another. Amazon got a lot of flak for that before they opened up the Kindle store to people who own other devices.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stonetools
Despite that , there are a lot of iOS devices out there. I would agree that Apple is not dominant now, but it is a major player.
AS is clear (except to those who don't want to admit), iOS is in a sense a more open platform than the one most favored here.
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The fact that a multi-function device is supports more formats and is more open to different uses than an essentially single-purpose device is hardly surprising - and doesn't change the fact that Amazon's store is open to people who do not own Kindles and Apple's store is not open to people who do not own iOS devices.
For iBooks to become a major player in the eBook market they will need to open the store to people who do not own iOS devices - just as Amazon opened the Kindle store to people who do not own Kindles.