Amazon, B&N, Kobo: iOS aps to be pulled in June

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

No. They shouldn't.
That is the last thing they should do.
Looking for work-arounds or sneaky tricks is just playing Apple's game.
The only reasonable thing to do is nothing.
Collect evidence and let Apple do as if will.

If they kick out all media apps, let them.
If they want to stop allowing reader apps to run, let it be *their* decision.
If they want to patch iOS so the existing installed apps don't work, let it be *their* decision.
If they want to herd all they customers into buying only through iBooks, let it be *their* decision.

If they can get away with it, they deserve what they they get.
If they can't get away with it, they deserve what they get.

No need for the competitors to debate, get into public shouting matches, sneaky back-stabs, "clever" half-compliance moves. No need to get down and dirty in the pigsty.

Do nothing.
Ignore the bullying.
See what happens, then.

This is why I'm not a corporation. Not being able to read my Kindle books on my iPhone--currently the only non-PC way I have to read them--makes me angry. It also makes me angry that I wouldn't be able to read my nook books on it, as it's very convenient from time to time to read on something very portable, tolerating temperature extremes, and with a backlight, that syncs to my nook.

So this thread prompted me to jailbreak my Kindle books so I can put them on my nook at least. I'm not sure this was Apple's intention, either, but I'm not sure they care. Amazon might, but they have their money from me so I feel no guilt.

In fact, I suppose Apple might care if I could use Bluefire or something to get Kindle- books-converted-to-drm-free-ePubs ported to my iPhone, which I think I can.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

Microsoft mastered the art of insane business models... like charging a Windows license fee for every computer sold by a manufacturer whether or not Windows was actually installed on it.

Actually, that wasn't MS's idea to start with.
Originally, MS charged on a sliding scale based on the number of actual units shipped. But that meant the manufacturers had to document which systems shipped with MS-Dos, which shipped with Xenix, which with Windows, or something else. Individually. By serial number.
So *they* suggested to MS they pay for DOS (later Windows) for every system shipped in return for a discount. With DOS running on 90%+ of shipped units the savings from simplifying the licensing and the discount meant both sides came out ahead.
Likewise, it was Compaq that first requested and negotiated a combined DOS+WINDOWS license at a reduced combo rate and it was Gateway and DELL that started bundling Office with WINDOWS.
People like to talk of a Microsoft tax on PCs but in any given year, MS has never taken in more than 4% of all the money made off the Windows platform: the rest goes to Intel, AMD, HP, Acer, Adobe, etc. It is simply a MASSIVE business and 4% is a light enough take there is little incentive for change.
If MS had ever pressed for 30% we would all be running OS/2 on our PCs.

[M0zza]

Originally Posted by Seli

Not quite, content-resellers cannot afford it, especially with the equal-pricing part of the rules. However, content-owners should be fine, they probably (and for publishers for sure) pay similar amounts anyway to get their product to the consumer.

So basically this move could be interpreted as an attempt of apple to remove the intermediaries. In a similar way (and with similar contracts) as Amazon tries to get authors to 'publish' directly with them.

So in Apples rush to make it 'easier for the consumer' to buy books it is pushing out one App (the 'bookshop') so it can replace it with many Apps (one for each publisher). Yes I really, really see how it is doing this for the consumer.

I don't know about you, but I have no idea who publishes what author.

[Seli]

Originally Posted by M0zza

So in Apples rush to make it 'easier for the consumer' to buy books it is pushing out one App (the 'bookshop') so it can replace it with many Apps (one for each publisher). Yes I really, really see how it is doing this for the consumer.

I don't know about you, but I have no idea who publishes what author.

That would indeed suck and be really inconvenient. But I would actually assume we'll see an itunes full of books before long.

[wyndslash]

Apple is taking away my choices as iBookstore is useless in my country.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Now, if Apple throws out competing apps, the most likely scenario is iPxxx owners will simply buy their books and content from Apple.
Some will whine but nobody will bell the cat.

No idea what bell the cat means, but as far as ebooks are concerned I am currently pretty much only a kindle customer and certainly wouldn't buy from apple given that I switched to buying from amazon due to being able to use the books on my phone, my ipad and my kindle.

Conveniently there are lots of shiny new tablets that are due to arrive any day now which will be more than happy to let me continue to read those kindle books and also pickup all those extra app purchases here and there that have so far gone to my ipad.

[Joykins]

They're saying on Dear Author that all the other e-bookstores need to do to comply is remove the purchase now link from the app. Could it really be that simple? I confess I do not understand what Apple requires from the way they phrase it.

http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2011...-to-affect-me/.

[M0zza]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

Apple is taking away my choices as iBookstore is useless in my country.

Best get yourself a non-apple device. A wifi only android tablet can be had pretty cheapily now.

[carld]

Originally Posted by Joykins

They're saying on Dear Author that all the other e-bookstores need to do to comply is remove the purchase now link from the app. Could it really be that simple? I confess I do not understand what Apple requires from the way they phrase it.

http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2011...-to-affect-me/.

Compliance isn't the problem, it's the fact that under Apple's scheme they'll probably lose money on every book sold on the iPad.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by M0zza

Best get yourself a non-apple device. A wifi only android tablet can be had pretty cheapily now.

Well, it's why I'm earning towards a kindle. Maybe someday when I am more liquid I will invest in an android device.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Apple wants them to leave as it can't compete in the ebook market with them as most heavy readers that buy book are already locked in one system either with Amazon or with Adobe.
If it really thought its service deserved 30% percent it would let allow Amazon and Co to sell cheaper outside Apple. Currently they are saying you have to sell the same price as you sell outside Apple but give us 30% out of it. That means everyone will have to increase prices and Apple will be able to under cut them through Ibooks.

People are not getting the true implications of this if Amazon is selling a book for $7 it will have to sell it for $10 inside and outside apple so people that are not even using Apple get ******

This is what worries me the most. I am concerned that my ebook prices will go up if companies like Amazon cave to Apple. I was already ticked with the Agency pricing but this getting out of control.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Joykins

So this thread prompted me to jailbreak my Kindle books so I can put them on my nook at least. [ . . ]In fact, I suppose Apple might care if I could use Bluefire or something to get Kindle- books-converted-to-drm-free-ePubs ported to my iPhone, which I think I can.

If you've stripped the DRM from your books, you can convert them to epub (with something like Calibre) and drop them right into iTunes, and read them in iBooks.

You can also email them to your iPhone and open them directly in iBooks that way.

My wife just got an iPod Touch last night, so we've been playing....

ApK

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Crowl

No idea what bell the cat means,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belling_the_cat

AKA, talk is cheap.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I was already ticked with the Agency pricing but this getting out of control.

Considering Apple instigated the price fix scheme (the 70-30 split is their "standard") the current move is just part *three* of a pre-planned campaign.
(Part two has already been discussed to death: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=116637)

They know exactly what they're doing.

[M0zza]

Originally Posted by ApK

If you've stripped the DRM from your books, you can convert them to epub (with something like Calibre) and drop them right into iTunes, and read them in iBooks.

You can also email them to your iPhone and open them directly in iBooks that way.

My wife just got an iPod Touch last night, so we've been playing....

ApK

Apple states it is pushing this to make buying books 'easier for the consumer'. Buying elsewhere, stripping DRM, possibly converting to the format of your choice and then adding to iTunes is definitely not easier...