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Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader uses Safari to bypass Apple's App Store rules - Page 2

post #41 of 59
8/10/11 at 9:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

This is a strange part. Does it need to be coded differently between desktop and mobile browser?

No, but the layout really should be optimized for small screens. Having to zoom and pan around does not make for a good experience.
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post #42 of 59
8/10/11 at 9:15am
Nice job Amaazon. I would have waited until I had buttoned up the smartphone version for Safari before announcing but beside that it's a great effort.
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post #43 of 59
8/10/11 at 9:33am
Is this working differently in the US to the UK? Here in the UK if I use the cloud reader and click the store icon i go to the Amazon.co.uk website the same as if I use the native iPad app. Getting back to the app required finding it on the home screen or as a bookmark. This is not as joined up as the version of the app that was replaced. I'm not sure what the cloud app offers that the native app doesn't. When on the store the browser bookmarks and URL fields are enabled as per normal Mobile Safari. I haven't tried a purchase so perhaps after a purchase I go directly back to the reader to read it?

I guess Amazon might find it easier to maintain one web app rather than lots of device specific apps - the URL for the store briefly refers to Android before refreshing.
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post #44 of 59
8/10/11 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orlando View Post

No, but the layout really should be optimized for small screens. Having to zoom and pan around does not make for a good experience.

Look to me like this is one disadvantage of web app to native app which can be universal.

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post #45 of 59
8/10/11 at 11:16am
I'm receiving errors with it. What is the limit of devices? When adding Kindle Cloud reader i have 5 devices. Some books have been able to be accessed but other says that I have exhausted authorizations. i don't understand this. Wouldn't they all be the same? I have authorized: MacBookPro / iPhone / 2 iPads and now the Cloud reader. Any ideas?
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post #46 of 59
8/10/11 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

This is a strange part. Does it need to be coded differently between desktop and mobile browser?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orlando View Post

No, but the layout really should be optimized for small screens. Having to zoom and pan around does not make for a good experience.

This is already accomplished (and reasonably well done) with the Kindle Reader app for the iPhone (not to mention iBooks and other readers working on smartphones). In fact, the coding is likely slightly different for desktops (and notebooks, laptops) and iPad because of the different form factors and, more importantly, multitouch is different (and non-existent on some desktops and notebooks). It's probably just a matter of time. They wanted to rush this out and, possibly, their database indicates that far more people read on iPads, desktops and notebooks than on smartphones. I am sure this is not targeting the iPhone but rather a case of delaying the iPhone-compatible version till later. In fact, I just verified this by checking my Android phone; it does not work there either - same message as I get on the iPhone.
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post #47 of 59
8/10/11 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erpx View Post

I'm receiving errors with it. What is the limit of devices? When adding Kindle Cloud reader i have 5 devices. Some books have been able to be accessed but other says that I have exhausted authorizations. i don't understand this. Wouldn't they all be the same? I have authorized: MacBookPro / iPhone / 2 iPads and now the Cloud reader. Any ideas?

Have you authorized a previous iPhone (or computer) that you have forogtten about?
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post #48 of 59
8/10/11 at 12:12pm
In the end, this still benefits Apple to have Amazon content on their iPad. Apple will just wait till Amazon releases their Android tablet, then they will sue them. Paperwork is probably already done
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post #49 of 59
8/10/11 at 12:34pm
I applaud Amazon's action here. That said, my experience using the app, while in a near dead zone, shows the limits of an online app. I can't really see myself using the online app. I had already created a Kindle website icon on my iPad desktop for quick access to the kindle store. Good enuf.

Interesting that Amazon knew right where I left off reading my book with the native app. Truly cross platform.
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post #50 of 59
8/10/11 at 1:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post

The trolls are out in force on this one. I know a lot of you have trouble wrapping your heads around simple concepts, but lets review.

The App Store/SDK, one of Apples iOS application platforms, runs on a revenue sharing basis. Thirty percent, is, as any knowledgeable and rational person knows, quite a reasonable figure.

The other iOS application platform, Safari/WebKit is an entirely open platform for which no developer agreement or revenue sharing is required, and which you are encouraged to use as an alternative to the App Store/SDK when it better suits your purposes.

See, it's very simple, so, read, comprehend, don't look foolish.

30% quite fair huh? Lets compare to other online paymet services.

Text message billing 3 - 10%
Expensive but easy to set up pay pal 2.5%
Direct credit card payment gateway 2%

So in which planet was 30% reasonable? I still maintain that if apps are revenue sharing, then while iPhone adverts feature nothing but apps developers should get 30% of iPhone sales which is something like $30,000 per app.
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post #51 of 59
8/10/11 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

No Firefox?

EditL Wow! and who said Kindle books are cheaper than iBooks? I just check Game of Thrones on Kindle and it's a buck more than mine.
Edit again: A Clash of Kings is also more expensive than in iBook store.

Try checking a random 100 books. You checked 2 books in the same series. About 50% of all books are more expensive on Apple. Maybe 10% the other way around. But also remember this one major fact: The Kindle Store has over 700, 000 actual books for sale(not including Google open source books or anything like that)---as oppose to a pitiful 200,000 from Apple. Apple simply cannot provide the range and variety of books and only goes for the massive bestsellers. If you are going to use the example of 2 books by the same author in the same series to compare overall price- then you had better be sure that both stores have the same selection and volume of books. You should also compare more books. Only an Apple Fanboy could seriously argue that the Kindle store is more expensive than Apple.....
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post #52 of 59
8/10/11 at 3:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ashleydelavane View Post

Try checking a random 100 books. You checked 2 books in the same series. About 50% of all books are more expensive on Apple. Maybe 10% the other way around. But also remember this one major fact: The Kindle Store has over 700, 000 actual books for sale(not including Google open source books or anything like that)---as oppose to a pitiful 200,000 from Apple. Apple simply cannot provide the range and variety of books and only goes for the massive bestsellers. If you are going to use the example of 2 books by the same author in the same series to compare overall price- then you had better be sure that both stores have the same selection and volume of books. You should also compare more books. Only an Apple Fanboy could seriously argue that the Kindle store is more expensive than Apple.....

How long have Amazon and Apple each been selling books? Has the relationship between Apple and publishers (not to mention writers, etc.) matured enough for a fair comparison against Amazon?
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post #53 of 59
8/10/11 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Applecation View Post

I applaud Amazon's action here. That said, my experience using the app, while in a near dead zone, shows the limits of an online app. I can't really see myself using the online app. I had already created a Kindle website icon on my iPad desktop for quick access to the kindle store. Good enuf.

Interesting that Amazon knew right where I left off reading my book with the native app. Truly cross platform.

This is pretty much standard for content delivery now. Watching movies and TV shows on Netflix offers the same experience. As you move from the living room to the bedroom, from AppleTV to your MacBook, you can pick up where you last left a show. If it only works like that with human relationships.
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post #54 of 59
8/10/11 at 3:44pm
"Kindle Cloud Reader is a web app that lets you read your Kindle books, instantly."

Cool - that is no much more advanced than the app version. The last time I used the app version it took me two weeks to read the book.
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post #55 of 59
8/10/11 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by erpx View Post

I'm receiving errors with it. What is the limit of devices? When adding Kindle Cloud reader i have 5 devices. Some books have been able to be accessed but other says that I have exhausted authorizations. i don't understand this. Wouldn't they all be the same? I have authorized: MacBookPro / iPhone / 2 iPads and now the Cloud reader. Any ideas?

Quote:
Originally Posted by stelligent View Post

Have you authorized a previous iPhone (or computer) that you have forogtten about?

No. I've checked my list of authorized devices and I only have 4 plus the Kindle Cloud Reader. And again, its odd that some of the books open fine while others don't.
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post #56 of 59
8/10/11 at 6:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by genovelle View Post

You haters just don't get it. Apple created the Web Apps for the iPhone first. This is how they wanted to do apps because it was more secure than giving native access to the phone. Everyone complained so they invested a ton of cash into creating the app store. Then they marketed the hell out of it. It worked and became an immediate success.

Doesn't this portray Apple as giving in to complainers, and without those complainers Apple wouldn't have this billion dollar App Store business? Wouldn't it be better to spin it by saying that Apple had been planning to introduce the App Store all along, so all those complainers were just wasting their time?
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post #57 of 59
8/10/11 at 7:06pm
Congrats Apple, you wanted to push HTML5, and you definitely are getting it! Bring on the HTML5 Apps!
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post #58 of 59
8/10/11 at 7:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post

Look to me like this is one disadvantage of web app to native app which can be universal.

Not at all.

Native apps and web apps both need to be optimized for the screen size. You can't just take the screen layout of an iPad optimized app and fit it on an iPhone.
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post #59 of 59
8/11/11 at 8:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

But content providers like Amazon who do not want to give Apple a 30 percent cut of sales opted instead to remove the "buy" button from their application. Customers can still visit websites through the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad to buy content that syncs with applications like Kindle, though Amazon's new Web application negates the need for using the native software, if users so choose.

Catch is that the way the rule by Apple was written, if there is buyable content you can get outside the app, there must be an in app button AND no link to the outside source. So Amazon only half complied. It will be interesting to see if they finish the needed changes or simply tell Apple to remove the app, forcing folks to use the cloud version


Quote:
Originally Posted by JunkMailfever View Post

In the end, this still benefits Apple to have Amazon content on their iPad. Apple will just wait till Amazon releases their Android tablet, then they will sue them. Paperwork is probably already done

No they won't. Because Apple is not some petulant child that sues whenever they are mad at someone. If Amazon doesn't want to play by the rules (as they agreed they would) and wants to ditch out of the whole App store game, whatever. Apple is still getting money hand over fist from everyone else, including selling possibly way more iPads than Amazon is selling Kindles and will sell their Android tablet (if it ever comes out). And they will be more than happy to have folks using the ease of the ibooks store to get their reading material. And face it, the general public really only cares about a decent price and it being easy. Apple v Amazon v whatever rarely matters to them
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