Apple – Rotten To The Core

Essentially what Apple plan on doing is blocking apps which allow access to content purchased outside of the App Store unless users can also purchase that content inside of the app or the App Store where they can reap 30% of each transaction. They have also said that newspaper publishers will not be allowed to provide a free iPad version to print subscribers. This will have serious ramifications for ebook, newspaper and magazine apps as well as potentially video subscription apps such as Netflix.

On the face of it this doesnt sound so bad – but I daresay that Apple will not take to kindly to providers marking up prices by 30% to accommodate this impost so where margins are tight content providers may be squeezed out of the game.

Ultimately I think Apple have forgotten one major point.  Unless Im mistaken I bought my iPad – at great expense – and as far as I’m aware this means I own it and therefore have the right to decide what goes on it.

I was prepared to put up with the closed ecosystem argument as long as it was to provide a better user experience by keeping crashing, nasty apps out of my hair – but this move is just greed.  As one ebookstore – I think Kobo – commented, Apple’s 30% cut is the entire profit margin given by the publisher – so why bother…

Also as a 7-day print subscriber to the Sydney Morning Herald I have enjoyed free access to the iPad version – and why not?  Why should I have to pay twice for the same content?  As far as I know the data is going from the servers of the SMH provider Newspaper Direct to the iPad that I OWN and I’m also paying bandwidth for at my end.  Frankly – what business is it of Apple?  Surely this is restraint of trade – if not from the sellers point of view, from mine.  These are restrictions that were not in place when I bought the device and had I known this was the going to be the case I would not have.

What happened to the days when Apple would have encouraged good content as a way of selling the hardware?  Again, this is just pure greed on Apple’s part and as a loyal Apple customer of many years I’m bitter and disappointed and they have lost a free advocate – heavens only knows how many people have Apple gear now on my recommendation.

At the moment Android is less polished than iOS – but the Motorola Xoom with Android 3.0 Honeycomb launching soon is looking far more likely to get my next discretional dollars than the iPad 2…

Related articles

• Apple’s New Approach To Content Sales Is A Rotten Plan (businessinsider.com)
• Did Apple Just Neuter iPad Ebook Apps? [Apple] (gizmodo.com)
• Apple Tightens Reins (online.wsj.com)
• Reactions to Apple in-app purchase policy change continue (teleread.com)
• Apple Rejects Sony Reader App Over In-App Purchases. Kindle Next? (wired.com)
• “Apple Is Evil! Boycott The iPad! – Sent From My iPad” (crunchgear.com)