GoogleVoice, GVMobile, and Podcaster and a host of others. All of these would-be iPhone apps have something in common. You guessed it! Each has been rejected or removed from the Apple App Store for duplicating features on the iPhone. Is the Amazon Kindle App next? It would only make sense that a host of book apps could get removed if you follow the current logic of Apple’s approval/removal policy. Then again if you follow the logic you have no clue what the heck they will do next.There is nothing more rotten and frustrating than anti-competitive behavior but the DOJ seems to have turned a blind eye to the business practices of Apple. If Microsoft (or even Google) tried to do the same thing, there would be howls of rage.
Compete on the Platform
I hope Sony, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders, focus bringing their content to the iPad with a better experience for book, magazine, and newspaper. More important, all these companies can provide in app point-of-sale that is seamless for the user. However, we know that would not fly previously, because Apple would interpret that as going around their framework, and thereby violating the Developer Agreement. However, word on the iPad front is that Apple is going to allow external downloads from the Internet. Maybe an opening?
DRM and EBooks
One of the things you may not have factored in all this is the following: While difficult, it is NOT completely impossible to move DRM protected books between some ebook platform. For example, both Sony and B & N use Adobe DRM. If the books are authorized to a machine, you can actually physically move them between a Sony Reader and a Nook and they will work. Kindle has a different ebook format, but the DRM is the same, I believe. Â Guess what Apple is doing? Yes, you guessed it. They have their own, proprietary DRM that is completely incompatible with anyone else.
The Zinio Magazine Plan
I have also been very interested in viewing what Zinio is up to. If you do not know them, I encourage you to take a look. This is my preferred vendor for magazines and has been for the last 3 years. I don’t do paper magazines anymore, and rather than cut my habit, I am actually spending MORE on magazines. It is so easy to take my 12 monthly subscriptions with me and read them as I will, that it has actually expanded my use beyond anything I have ever done. What’s new then? Well, they now have an app for the iPhone/Touch and they are in the process of redoing their digital magazine structures so that they both stay true to the print version (if there still is one) as well as flow to match differing screen sizes. Guess what platform they are gunning for? If you said iPad, you would be partially correct. They want to hit ALL the Tablet devices on multiple OS platforms this year. I think they have a pretty good shot at keeping magazines alive. It is really different when you can read a magazine, click through links, and even see video. What do you think the chances are that Apple will actually let them do this on the iPad? Perhaps not too bad IF they are allowed to sell their magazines through the iTunes store and pay the Apple toll. Otherwise, heck no!
Should be interesting to see what happens with the Kindle (Amazon), Stanza (Amazon), eReader (B&N), GoodReader (KoKo), etc. apps currently available in the Apple App Store. What do you think is going to happen during the next couple of weeks while we wait for Rod’s iPad to show up?