Amazon makes Kindle app Apple compliant by removing one URL link | Hacker News Reader

Amazon makes Kindle app Apple compliant by removing one URL link

amazon.com

31 pointsmoonlighter16 comments

From Gruber:

> There you go. This is the result of Apple putting its own interests ahead of those of its users. It’s certainly not drastic (as it would be if Amazon had pulled the app from the store entirely), but in no way can it be argued that this is an improvement for users.

I think that says it all. If Gruber isn't even going to bother to try and defend it (or even play devil's advocate), then it's probably indefensible.

Perhaps he'll reconsider his claim that Android's relative openness only matters to "zealots" (http://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/07/25/doctorow). But probably not.

Because it's not really defensible. The best you could say is that Apple stands to make money, which is good for Apple, but even that's not really true, since everyone is just pulling the buttons so they don't have to pay Apple.

He just posted an update, for what it's worth: http://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/07/26/frommer-kindle

I really wish they hadn't backed down. Yes, it's Apple's store, they can do what they want, but I feel like they get away with ridiculous changes like this because, well, they're Apple.

Depending on how you look at it, they could also be giving Apple the finger, saying they will not follow Apple's asinine lock-in restrictions.

Unfortunately in the end, the developers suffer.

They backed down alright, by creating a competing app store and presumably a competing tablet.

Apple rejected our iPhone/iPad app for the exact same reason. We had a link to our website in the help section.

So you removed the link?

Some additional coverage on MacWorld.com: http://www.macworld.com/article/161325/2011/07/kindle_drops_...

If you want more details on Apple's new policies you can look here: http://quatermain.tumblr.com/post/8045895465/my-review-of-th...

The Kobo app is another ebook reader, like Kindle. The number of different things they tried to satisfy Apple is breathtaking. Last I heard (via the same Kobo developer on Twitter), one-star reviews of their new app have taken them from 4.5 stars to 2.5 stars in just a few days.

I understand that Apple is doing this because of e readers directly competing with iBooks, but according to Apple's new rules it should harm any companies selling products outside of Apple's store.

Does this mean the eBay app will be pulled if apple doesn't get it's 30% cut? What about groupon,rdio, tha amazon store and many other apps that can't possibly hand over 30% of their sales to Apple when they don't have those kind of margins to work with.

The original Apple requirements would have required Amazon to pull the app entirely, right? (Or sell all their Kindle books directly through Apple IAP and give Apple 30%, which was never going to happen.)

Surely this particular restriction should be considered anti-competitive? Where is the FTC?

This market is too new for the FTC to get involved. They like to let new markets grow unencumbered for a while.

Probably waiting to act against actual monopolies, I suspect.

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