[Selina Fenech]

I read about this a while ago in the news, but it just affected me last night and annoyed me more than I thought it would.

For those who don't have a kindle, but use the Kindle App on an iphone, ipad or other Apple product, the most recent App update has removed the "Buy More Books" link from inside the app. Apparently this is because Apple forced them to remove it (Kindle and other eReaders) because they want people to only buy digital content through the itunes store so they always get a 30% cut of everything. Sounds like they pretty much want to control digital content to me.

So last night I go to download a new ebook, and the link isn't there. It's not that much more effort to still get books, you just have to manually open a browser, log in and go from there rather than with one click. But still, I loved just being able to click through and grab a new ebook so easily. 

Anyone else find this annoying?

I also read that Amazon's next tablet product will replace the Kindle and also compete with ipads. Is this true? I might have to get one if it is. Reading on the Kindle app for iphone is ok, but I'd love a bigger screen, more book sized.

 

[JFHilborne]

It is annoying when convenience gets taken away from the customer, although I never use Kindlestore or the apps to buy books, I always log onto Amazon.com.

 

[KingAl]

The tablets (there will be 2) will not replace the Kindle, but will complement it.  I may buy one (though I already have an iPad.)

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

Well, it's not a new policy, but the actual enforcement is new. It doesn't affect me at all, since I only purchase books from the Amazon web site using my computer.

As far as Apple wanting 30% of sales through their store, this doesn't seem much different that Amazon wanting a cut of everything sold through their store. In the case of ebooks, it's pretty close to 30% for most books, IIRC.

So it's pretty much a non-issue to me.

Mike

 

[Selina Fenech]

Sorry, I might have worded it wrong. Sure it's fine for them to want 30% of anything sold through their app store, but they want 30% of anything sold through any app on their DEVICES. Can you imagine what people would think if, for example, Microsoft wanted a 30% cut of anything you buy online when using a PC?
Like I said, it's not that many more clicks to get through to the browser anyway, but that sort of annoys me more, because why force them to remove the link from within the actual app in that case? It almost seems petty...

 

[gatehouseauthor]

Amazon has found a new way around this restriction with their Cloud Reader.

https://read.amazon.com/about

I haven't tried it (don't have a tablet to read it on, and the Kindle app works fine on my PC), but my understanding is that it replaces all the functionality of the Kindle app for iPad, Android, etc., in a web-based reader that can be accessed from Safari or the Android web browser. And it adds the buy link back in. Since it's not an app, Apple can't restrict them to what content/functionality they provide. And, since it works on the cloud, the "buy once, read everywhere" philosophy still holds true. Give it a try, it may just be exactly what you're looking for!

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

It almost seems petty...

Petty... Steve Jobs... petty... Steve Jobs. Hmmm, I really don't see where you're going with this.

It's just the way things work in a Reality Distortion Field (TM).

Mike
Who owns a Mac and some iThings

 

[DYB]

I do think Amazon's solution with the cloud app is interesting.  Hopefully it solves a lot of people's problems!

 

[mooshie78]

Mildly annoying on principle as I don't like how controlling Apple is of their app store.  But it doesn't affect me as I do all my e-book shopping on a PC anyway.  And even if I wanted to buy something on the iPad, it's not that big a deal to open the web browser and go to the e-book store site manually.

 

[kindlegrl81]

Considering what the alternative was going to be (completely pulling the app from the market) I am happy with this compromise.  99.9% of my book purchases are done on a computer anyways.

 

[KingAl]

Petty... Steve Jobs... petty... Steve Jobs. Hmmm, I really don't see where you're going with this.

It's just the way things work in a Reality Distortion Field (TM).

Mike

I was going to say that petty is a synonym for Steve Jobs but you beat me to it...

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

I was going to say that petty is a synonym for Steve Jobs but you beat me to it...

I actually think the "controlling" is a better word. But it's hard to argue with a strategy that has landed Apple 60 billion dollars cash in the bank for selling something that is pretty much available elsewhere.

I go to hand it to the man.

Mike

 

[Meemo]

It actually saves a step for me - I usually only go to the Kindle store (or B&N, or Kobo, or wherever) on my iPhone or iPad after I see notice of a freebie on Facebook and want to pick it up.  So instead of opening the reader app then clicking on the store button that took me to Safari, now I just go straight to Safari.  I could've done that all along I suppose, I just never thought of it.  Still don't buy books from iBooks, although I just picked up a few freebies recently. 

 

[Bren S.]

Doesn't really bother me at all. I have always bought my books via my computer anyways.

 

[Sharon Red]

Doesn't really bother me at all. I have always bought my books via my computer anyways.

Same here, I actually prefer it that way.