Is Apple Policy Pushing Readers to Kindles?

Ed Sutherland (10:52 am PDT, Jul 27 2011)

If you love e-reading and the Kindle app for the iPad, you may have noticed the familiar “Kindle Store” button missing. Its absence is causing an uproar online and prompting questions whether Apple is unintentionally pushing consumers to buy iBook alternatives.

“As someone who has purchased and read several dozen books on the Kindle app in the past year, I have to say that this sucks,” a Fortune editor writes – and promptly offers readers a link to purchase the Kindle. Unwilling to give Apple a 30 percent cut of in-app sales, giant online bookseller Amazon, as well as the Barnes & Noble Nook and Google removed buttons to their individual stores.

The move follows Apple’s June 30 deadline forcing apps that link to sales outside the iTunes ecosphere to either pay up or remove the offensive (at least to Cupertino) buttons. Although Apple contends the rule is part of its subscription pricing model, CEO Steve Jobs perhaps noticed a 2010 author who blogged selling 60 Kindle versions for every 1 iBook.

This latest effort by Apple is seen was limiting consumer options. However, it is also not the best time, particularly for Amazon, which is on the verge of shipping an iPad alternative that is cheaper but with the same authority of a well-known brand.

We’ll have to wait to see what impact this change has on sales of iBooks. The Kindle for iPad app was one of the most popular ways for readers to buy e-books. Now that Apple has placed another step in what was a seamless process of purchasing and reading books, the question becomes will consumer adapt or simply buy a Kindle. In which case, has Apple shot itself in the foot for increased profit?

DON'T MISS
With eBooks Outselling Print, Is iPad The Future of Reading?

Apps you might like

230 comments »

http://www.facebook.com/josh.yates5142 Josh Yates
I know that I have finally decided to ditch iBooks. Kindle has so much more selection and the reader is MUCH more stable. iBooks crashes a LOT for me…I’m on a jailbroken device, but with the lack of selection, stability and now Apple’s most recent move in attempting to monopolize the iOS market, iBooks is on my device only to attempt to access previous purchases. Future purchases will ALL be through Kindle.
http://www.facebook.com/josh.yates5142 Josh Yates
I know that I have finally decided to ditch iBooks. Kindle has so much more selection and the reader is MUCH more stable. iBooks crashes a LOT for me…I’m on a jailbroken device, but with the lack of selection, stability and now Apple’s most recent move in attempting to monopolize the iOS market, iBooks is on my device only to attempt to access previous purchases. Future purchases will ALL be through Kindle.
http://www.facebook.com/josh.yates5142 Josh Yates
I know that I have finally decided to ditch iBooks. Kindle has so much more selection and the reader is MUCH more stable. iBooks crashes a LOT for me…I’m on a jailbroken device, but with the lack of selection, stability and now Apple’s most recent move in attempting to monopolize the iOS market, iBooks is on my device only to attempt to access previous purchases. Future purchases will ALL be through Kindle.
http://www.facebook.com/josh.yates5142 Josh Yates
I know that I have finally decided to ditch iBooks. Kindle has so much more selection and the reader is MUCH more stable. iBooks crashes a LOT for me…I’m on a jailbroken device, but with the lack of selection, stability and now Apple’s most recent move in attempting to monopolize the iOS market, iBooks is on my device only to attempt to access previous purchases. Future purchases will ALL be through Kindle.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CMHDBOJJZLV3O5Y5QKE5WVUML4 Bunny
Who cares if it’s from the Kindle app or the iBooks app? Most of the time, they’re the same price point. It just takes a second to open the other app, and it’s not like your Kindle books got deleted.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.

Stephen Minton
plus the lack of book selection in iBooks also suggests that this is a hobby rather than a business they are taking seriously. if they were taking it seriously, maybe they wouldn’t let Amazon have an app at all (just as Amazon doesn’t allow 3rd party book apps on its device). I think their policy is just an attempt to collect sales commissions rather than a real attempt to corner the e-book market. Ultimately they want Amazon to cave in and pay the 30% fees, which Amazon would likely do if they started losing market share to bookstores on iOS devices which allowed in-app purchasing.

Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
Bret Biornstad
I’d like to buy iBooks but I will continue to buy kindle or nook books because oddly enough I can read them easily on my MacBook, my iPod Touch and my iPad. With iBooks I can only read the books on my iPod Touch and my iPad, it seems a strange given all that I read about the Apple ecosystem. Perhaps iBooks is just a “hobby” like Apple TV. Or perhaps the accountants have ran the numbers and it is simply not a profitable venture.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IQWRNGORJYAOXEOL5GVJMTPZAI Russell
I’m simply happy that the Kindle App (and Nook app) remain on the iPad. Not having a store button in the app is very minor. I often buy Kindle books while browsing on my laptop anyway.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IQWRNGORJYAOXEOL5GVJMTPZAI Russell
I’m simply happy that the Kindle App (and Nook app) remain on the iPad. Not having a store button in the app is very minor. I often buy Kindle books while browsing on my laptop anyway.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IQWRNGORJYAOXEOL5GVJMTPZAI Russell
I’m simply happy that the Kindle App (and Nook app) remain on the iPad. Not having a store button in the app is very minor. I often buy Kindle books while browsing on my laptop anyway.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrian-Werner/100000621679538 Adrian Werner
Honestly…when most people think “ebooks” they think Kindle. It’s a huge brand, like HULU or Netflix, so removal of “buy” button won’t change much. Most customers already know they can buy Kindle books through the website, without needing a button to tell them such.
And this whole “pushing towards Kindle” is also silly. Heavy readers already have Kindle or are planning to buy one. As great as iPad is, it’s not the best way to read ebooks. Bassicaly this dick move by Apple won’t change anything, if somebody wants to buy Kindle he will do it whether there’s a button or not. The idea that the avaibility of such button could stop people from buying Kindle is silly
http://www.facebook.com/people/Adrian-Werner/100000621679538 Adrian Werner
Honestly…when most people think “ebooks” they think Kindle. It’s a huge brand, like HULU or Netflix, so removal of “buy” button won’t change much. Most customers already know they can buy Kindle books through the website, without needing a button to tell them such.
And this whole “pushing towards Kindle” is also silly. Heavy readers already have Kindle or are planning to buy one. As great as iPad is, it’s not the best way to read ebooks. Bassicaly this dick move by Apple won’t change anything, if somebody wants to buy Kindle he will do it whether there’s a button or not. The idea that the avaibility of such button could stop people from buying Kindle is silly
JN
I’m just not going to update my Kindle app for the time being, wazo, the Amazon store button doesn’t go away. I’ll probably accidentally update it in the future, but for now I don’t see why I should bother.
It is a minor inconvenience either way though. I have the bookmark in safari so it’s easy enough to get to.

Stephen Minton
the new version lets you read newspapers and magazines on your Kindle app, and actually works pretty well – reading a newspaper in the Kindle app is a better experience than newspaper ‘apps’ I’ve tried – no ads, for one thing

JN
I’m just not going to update my Kindle app for the time being, wazo, the Amazon store button doesn’t go away. I’ll probably accidentally update it in the future, but for now I don’t see why I should bother.
It is a minor inconvenience either way though. I have the bookmark in safari so it’s easy enough to get to.
JN
I’m just not going to update my Kindle app for the time being, wazo, the Amazon store button doesn’t go away. I’ll probably accidentally update it in the future, but for now I don’t see why I should bother.
It is a minor inconvenience either way though. I have the bookmark in safari so it’s easy enough to get to.
Anonymous
For most non-US buyers, iBooks is not really an option since it only offers OOC classics. Amazon also has some copyright issues and an inconvenient format, and no non-English content. As someone reading English, German and Dutch books, Kobo Reader really is the only viable option and it supports ePub as well. I use the Kobo Touch on a daily basis and I love it, not in the last place because I can be casual with a 90-euro device (unlike the 580-euro iPad). The page flicker never bothered me, but both the Kobo Touch and new Nook have eliminated that to only every seven page turns or so. The iPad is my main device for reading scientific literature (Sente is a lifeaaver) but for relaxation, nothing beats using my Kobo on a sun-covered terrace. With a good glass of red to go along with it.
Malcolm Jones
Apple is not the customer friendly company that they used to be. They still design the best products, but they put too many hurdles in the way for true ease of use. If you have ever tried to move your itunes songs to a new PC, your have seen this in action. I will not but another Apple product.

About the author

Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.

(sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)| Read more posts by Ed Sutherland.

Posted in News | Tagged: Apple, iPad, kindle |