Petty Apple is petty. Amazon, Kobo, and others have changed their applications to conform to Apple's App Store rules, and if there's one word that describes the situation these booksellers are in, it's petty. Still, it's leading to good things: Kobo has announced it's going to bypass the App Store by writing an HTML5 e-reader for iOS (and thus, for other HTML5-capable mobile devices).
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Member since:2009-08-18
Member since:2005-06-29
I bought a Kindle for my girlfriend a few months ago, and as an e-book reader they are very nice. In fact, I'd say they are the one to beat in the standalone reader market, and they intentionally left out flashy features so there is no distraction from reading your books.
I have a friend with a Nook Color, and while he did buy it with the intention of using it as a cheap Android tablet, I couldn't imagine using it for its original intent. All the notifications and the poor battery life (compared to the Kindle) would be too much of a distraction from reading. I know this because I try to use my Android phone as an e-book reader and it happens to me. I just can't stay focused on the content.
I'm waiting for the new Kindles to come out so I can get one of the current generation for $99 (if that rumor pans out anyway).
Member since:
2005-06-29
Except Amazon doesn't have a device as robust and app-friendly as the iOS devices (yet; I know they are rumored to have an Android tablet on the way). We can't pass judgement on them until we see what they do.
As for Google...as others have pointed out, they do indeed allow such things as in-app purchases via third party payment processors, in-app account management, and in-app links and ads by the app publisher. Anyone with an Android device can attest to that. Not only that, you don't even have to use Google's Android Market app store if you don't want to. Amazon's app store works great and has an amazing selection (and free paid apps daily), and there are other app stores too. With iOS, short of jailbreaking you are locked in to Apple's store and the limitations that come with it.
I've always been a big fan of Apple's OSes (and their hardware to a lesser extent) but their business practices have always rubbed me the wrong way. This is becoming ridiculous. I know what you might say, that it's their App Store and they have a right to do what they want with it, including heavy-handed restrictions. And you would be right; as they are not a monopoly they can get away with a few anti-competitive things for now. And with the strong and growing presence of Android, I doubt iOS will ever be the dominant mobile platform. In the end, this will only hurt the consumers first, and Apple second.
Edited 2011-07-27 01:10 UTC