NYT: Apple Moves to Tighten Control of App Store

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

All that is speculation on what Apple might do.

True, although the speculation is based on what Apple said it was going to do, which makes it a little more reliable.

It the history of iOS devices has there ever been such a "bait-n-switch"? No. Has there been apps that were yanked from the App Store only to reappear again? Yes, plenty of times.

Sure, sometimes they reappeared a year later. But none of them were as core to so many user's experiences as the Kindle app. Not even close.

If Apple is being as evil and manipulative as you are portraying them to be, then their decision will backfire on them. The history has shown us that most consumers who boycott companies and products are driven by emotion... and emotions change based on the season of the year, or what they ate for dinner last night.

This is not about boycotting. Boycotting is when you don't buy a product you would like to have to protest politically against some actions of the company. No one is suggesting a boycott. Instead, people are suggesting that certain policies are changing some iDevices into products that no longer fit their needs.

...and of course you and others give Amazon a pass on being evil with regard to ebooks... charging the same or MORE as the paper version in spite of the fact that ebooks are more restrictive with regard to giving away/selling. I don't see those harrumphing about Apple's evil-ness holding the same line against Amazon.

This is completely backwards, completely ignorant, and completely wrong.

This post gets and F. Please do research on the Apple, Amazon, and the Agency system, and resubmit.

Bottom line, this is simply a convenient reason to express anti-Apple sentiment....that's ok, but let's call it what it is.

Bottom line, you have *no idea* about the issues involved and are merely responding because Apple was criticized.

[SolRaven]

I don't know if anyone has posted this, but it's on the ebookreader.sony.com site as well:
http://ebookstore.sony.com/rme/

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I can't say it better than this:

Quote:
Just as I can’t see how Apple could have become a $300+ billion company by making iTunes an “open for all” playground of its competitors’ commercial interests — given Google, Microsoft, Adobe, RIM, Samsung, Nokia, TimeWarner, NBC, Universal, Amazon and a host of other competitors suing or attacking Apple on a daily basis — I can’t see a way for the App Store to prosper by turning itself into a “neutral zone” app and media hosting platform.

This works in your interest if you're an Apple stockholder or employee. My interest as a consumer is to buy what works for me, not to enrich Apple.

I don't mind if Apple or any other company makes money serving my needs, but it won't get my money otherwise.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

I can't say it better than this:

I can’t see a way for the App Store to prosper by turning itself into a “neutral zone” app and media hosting platform.

That's exactly what we're saying too. This move is pure greed on Apple's part.

Graham

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

This works in your interest if you're an Apple stockholder or employee. My interest as a consumer

And thus, Apple finds itself in a very tricky situation. Do you think they can walk a fine line and make everyone happy the way they've done in the digital media market?

[DiapDealer]

Tobias Buckell responds to MobileRead Members who think he pulled the 50% number out of his hat - or something else with an orifice.

I happen to agree with his opinion on this in general, so imperfect (un-verified) numbers aren't really the point here. The point is that the number would be significant in terms of Amazon revenue.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Graham

That's exactly what we're saying too. This move is pure greed on Apple's part.

Graham

Why does Apple, or any corporation exist? To make money and make it's shareholders happy. It's a fine line that they have to walk...

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

And thus, Apple finds itself in a very tricky situation. Do you think they can walk a fine line and make everyone happy the way they've done in the digital media market?

I don't care what Apple's challenges are. Again, I'm acting in my own interest as a consumer.

[RockdaMan]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

, I'm acting in my own interest as a consumer.

That presumably would include Apple providing a solution that fits your needs.

[carld]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tobias Buckell responds to MobileRead Members who think he pulled the 50% number out of his hat - or something else with an orifice.

I happen to agree with his opinion on this in general, so imperfect (un-verified) numbers aren't really the point here. The point is that the number would be significant in terms of Amazon revenue.

I don't remember the numbers, but 50% doesn't seem to remotely square with Amazon's statements as to where Kindle ebook sales are coming from. So yeah, I have to go with pulling 50% out of an orifice.

Regardless, if Apple engineers it so that Amazon can't make money on iPad ebook sales then that won't leave Amazon with any choice in the matter.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tobias Buckell responds to MobileRead Members who think he pulled the 50% number out of his hat - or something else with an orifice.

I happen to agree with his opinion on this in general, so imperfect (un-verified) numbers aren't really the point here. The point is that the number would be significant in terms of Amazon revenue.

My point is that I'm not sure it would be significant or not. Because the numbers are pure speculation.

[WillysJeepMan]

Originally Posted by carld

I don't remember the numbers, but 50% doesn't seem to remotely square with Amazon's statements as to where Kindle ebook sales are coming from. So yeah, I have to go with pulling 50% out of an orifice.

Regardless, if Apple engineers it so that Amazon can't make money on iPad ebook sales then that won't leave Amazon with any choice in the matter.

There's a difference between a totally fictitious number and an educated guess. I think that Tobias Buckell has sufficiently made the case that 50% is a reasonable number... not necessarily accurate, but a reasonable guess.

Amazon claims that 20% of kindle books are downloaded by kindle apps but they never released the number of kindle devices sold to consumers nor the actual numbers of kindle books sold/downloaded to various devices. Secrecy with these type of numbers always means one thing... they're not as good as they hoped.

But if we accept Amazon's claim at face value, then the number of kindle books downloaded to iOS devices is less than 20%... perhaps significantly less.

And if that's the case, then I expect Amazon to yank the kindle app from the app store rather than give Apple a cut of kindle book sales. Because after all, with the growing number of non-iOS devices being sold this year, they can easily write off the small percentage of sales generated by iOS devices.

[carld]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

There's a difference between a totally fictitious number and an educated guess. I think that Tobias Buckell has sufficiently made the case that 50% is a reasonable number... not necessarily accurate, but a reasonable guess.

I disagree completely. As I said, 50% isn't remotely close to what Amazon has said. if you're going to take someone's guesstimate over actual company statements, then I really don't know what to say.

Secrecy with these type of numbers always means one thing... they're not as good as they hoped.

That's simply not true. There are competitive reasons for not releasing exact sales numbers, and not just because they aren't good enough.

And if that's the case, then I expect Amazon to yank the kindle app from the app store rather than give Apple a cut of kindle book sales. Because after all, with the growing number of non-iOS devices being sold this year, they can easily write off the small percentage of sales generated by iOS devices.

That might happen, but only if Apple's machinations make the market unprofitable for Amazon.

[sbtx99]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tobias Buckell responds to MobileRead Members who think he pulled the 50% number out of his hat - or something else with an orifice.

I happen to agree with his opinion on this in general, so imperfect (un-verified) numbers aren't really the point here. The point is that the number would be significant in terms of Amazon revenue.

Maybe 50% of people do read Kindle ebooks on iOS devices, but I wonder what percentage of the people who use the iOS apps are also Kindle owners. And what percentage of people who use the iOS apps actually purchase content via the apps. Or what percentage have the app just to take advantage of free content.

Before I purchased my Kindle, the only time I used the kindle app on my iPod was to read free ebooks from Amazon. I never purchased any ebooks from Amazon until I bought a kindle. Even now that I have a kindle, the only content I "purchase" on my iPod is free content. For paid content, I do almost all of my purchasing on my computer via Amazon's website, except for maybe 2 or 3 ebooks that were purchased on my Kindle.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

That presumably would include Apple providing a solution that fits your needs.

Apple's idea of a solution doesn't fit my needs. You don't seem to grasp that. As long as I'm the consumer, only my opinion matters when it comes to parting with my money. That's how the marketplace works. Duh.