Apple Pulling the Plug on Reader Apps?

[Jane12]

DOH! This doesn't sound good ...

from the New York Times:

"[Apple] has told some applications developers, including Sony, that they can no longer sell content, like e-books, within their apps, or let customers have access to purchases they have made outside the App Store [emphasis added].

"Apple rejected Sony’s iPhone application, which would have let people buy and read e-books bought from the Sony Reader Store ....

"The move could affect companies like Amazon.com and others that sell e-book readers that compete with Apple’s iPad tablet and offer free mobile apps so customers can read their e-book purchases on other devices. An iPad owner, for instance, has not needed to own a Kindle to read Kindle books bought from Amazon.

"That may now change."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/te.../01apple.html?

[wallcraft]

Kindle for iPad started out with its bookstore via the web browser, to get round the "sell content within their apps" limitation. I assume this is still the case. Sony should have known better than to try an in-app store.

I agree that "access to purchases" is new, and if it is correct then Kindle for iThing is dead. Amazon would have to replace it with a variant of Kindle for the Web. I doubt that it is true though, because there would be a mass migration of apps to HTML5 and/or Android.

[injapan]

this is a very interesting delevopment
Apple does it again ..... it seems

[HappyMartin]

I am trying to decide between an Ipad, which I have looked at and really like, and an Android tablet which I will have to wait for and evaluate when it comes out. I love my Kindle but want to be able to read things like manuals and guide books on a tablet. If the Ipad wont do that then that is a deal breaker for me

[ChristopherTD]

If the emphasis in the NY Times article is correct then Apple would also have to ban all content, including music and movies that wasn't purchased from App Store or iTunes. I can't see that.

This sounds like Sony PR putting a spin on their app rejection (for apparently allowing in-app access to the Sony eBookStore).

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by ChristopherTD

If the emphasis in the NY Times article is correct then Apple would also have to ban all content, including music and movies that wasn't purchased from App Store or iTunes. .

I don't see why you're making that assumption.

[ChristopherTD]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

I don't see why you're making that assumption.

What is the difference between consuming music that you purchased outside iTunes (say from Amazon) and loaded onto your iPad, and consuming an ebook that you purchased from the Amazon Kindle store (in a browser) then loaded onto your iPad?

Why would they limit one and not the other.

Nor do they stop you loading ebooks into iBooks that you purchase elsewhere, say from O'Reilly.

It doesn't add up.

[Sweetpea]

I see a pattern emerging here. As I reported about a month ago that they're doing the same with newspapers...

[Toxaris]

Next step: all content that has no specific apple signature cannot be played with apps from the apple store.

That will learn everybody not to pay Apple for their own content!

[Flub]

It'd be pretty disapointing if true but would explain why the iPad Kindle app hasn't had the newspaper/magazines update that the Android app has.

It'll be a shame not to have the option of using my iThings for Kindle reading anymore but I'm sure when my new K3 arrives tomorrow (Replacement for my K2i) I won't be too upset

[BuddyBoy]

As I mentioned on the other thread, I'm hoping this is just Sony's confused way of trying to fob off the blame regarding the restriction on external in-app purchasing. All my other readers, magazine apps, etc, take you to Safari for the final purchase. To my surprise, Sony does now appear to allow purchasing via the web but their mobile iOs version of their store is awful!

I hope Apple doesn't actually intend to restrict access to external content. If they choose to, then it's so long from me. Not that that's going to make anyone quiver in their books.

[DMB]

I am in no hurry but am considering getting an iPad as a replacement for a notebook. But if Apple are going to play unpleasant games, I will probably go for a different tablet.

[athlonkmf]

I tend to lean towards this opinion;
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/01/i-q...ting-the-ipad/
http://appadvice.com/appnn/2011/02/a...app-purchases/

We're readers, so we should be able to interpret plays with words

http://ebookstore.sony.com/rme/

We would like to update everyone on the status of our Reader™ for iPhone® mobile application. We created an app that we’re very excited about, which includes all the features you’ve come to expect from a mobile reading application – including access to your existing collection, synching with your Reader Daily Edition™ and purchasing new content as is possible on other mobile platforms.

Unfortunately, with little notice, Apple changed the way it enforces its rules and this will prevent the current version of the Reader™ for iPhone® from being available in the app store. We opened a dialog with Apple to see if we can come up with an equitable resolution but reached an impasse at this time. We’re exploring other avenues to bring the Reader experience to Apple mobile devices. We know that many of you are eagerly awaiting the application and we appreciate your continued patience.

No where in that statement was mentioned that their app got denied due to purchasing of stuff. It's certainly insinuating though. As everyone picked up the "reasoning".

[rcuadro]

The Google Voice App fiasco all over again...

[Lemurion]

Yay, it's back to the worst aspects of a walled garden. Every time I think I should go for an iOS device, they come up with something that would defeat my entire purpose for getting it.

I want cross-platform, they want closed doors.