[Macworld]

Post your comments for Will Amazon bring Kindle to the iPhone? here

[tewha]

3.3.3 Without Apple’s prior written approval, an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store.

Mind you, maybe Amazon could get that approval.

[flowney]

tewha said:

3.3.3 Without Apple’s prior written approval, an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store.


Mind you, maybe Amazon could get that approval.

That approval might not be required. There is an SQL Lite DB that apps can use to store gobs of data. Text is very efficient. That translates to many, many pages.

[spinoza2]

The problem with the eReader bookstore is that the books are usually much more expensive than amazon Kindle or Sony Reader books, the eReader prices are more in line with their printed counterparts. I would like to buy books for my iPhone, but usually opt for getting the Sony Reader version because the books in the Sony Store store are significantly cheaper.
The other problem with the eReader bookstore is its complete emphasis on romance novels and cheap fiction, it definitely does not have the stature of the amazon or Sony bookstores.

[Dan Frakes]

tewha said:

3.3.3 Without Apple’s prior written approval, an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store.

But that says nothing about content. There are a good number of already-approved iPhone apps that let you download or load content?ebooks, podcasts, images, and more?without going through the App Store.

Granted, I'm sure Apple would love to have you purchase Amazon/Kindle ebooks through the App Store and take a cut of each purchase. But I don't think they'd reject an Amazon/Kindle app that lets you download ebooks directly.

[Jason Snell]

@tewha: Both eReader and Stanza support the purchase of e-books from an e-commerce engine, and both have been in the store for ages. It's a non-issue. The section you quote is about crippled demo versions of apps. Content has clearly been ruled by Apple to not be the same as features or functionality.

[orgopete]

I don't know if this is off target, but I investigated the three apps noted by Jason Snell, Stanza, Classic, and eReader. None of them import images from what I can tell.
I have pdf files with a lot of images in them. Is there a pdf reader for the iPhone that will read pdf files including the images?

[JoshNippon]

AirSharing. Mount iPhone as a drive via WiFi. $4.99 in the AppStore. MS Office, iWork (duh!), PDF, rtf, rtfd, aud./vid.,blah blah blah. B-)

[tewha]

[quote name='Dan Frakes']
>

tewha said:

> 3.3.3 Without Apple’s prior written approval, an Application may not provide, unlock or enable additional features or functionality through distribution mechanisms other than the App Store.

But that says nothing about content. There are a good number of already-approved iPhone apps that let you download or load content?ebooks, podcasts, images, and more?without going through the App Store.

Granted, I'm sure Apple would love to have you purchase Amazon/Kindle ebooks through the App Store and take a cut of each purchase. But I don't think they'd reject an Amazon/Kindle app that lets you download ebooks directly.

I'm sure they wouldn't, if the books were free.

[tewha]

@Jason Snell: Thanks for your reply, that makes it clearer. :)

[dshan]

Rather than doing a reader of their own for the iPhone & iPod touch Amazon would be better advised to license the Kindle format and DRM to existing ebook software producers like eReader and Stanza. Kindle uses a very slightly modified version of MobiPocket's encrypted format (Amazon already owns the company behind it), and Stanza already works with unencrypted MobiPocket format as well as encrypted eReader format ebooks now too.
Yet another ebook reader app is not required (particularly one that is limited to one store), the existing reader apps simply need access to the biggest source of low cost commercial ebooks in the market - Amazon. They can work out a revenue split for Amazon purchases that's fair if they try.

[Jason Snell]

@dshan I agree that "not invented here syndrome" may be an issue with a hypothetical Kindle app for iPhone, but I can also see that Amazon might not be entirely pleased with the existing purchase process on eReader and Stanza. Then again, if Amazon provided a login API for eReader and Stanza, and gave them access to the Kindle format, it would solve the problem too!
Still, I wouldn't bet on it. I think it's more likely that Amazon will just build its own dedicated reader app.

[kirkmc]

Oh my aching eyes...

[caduceus]

The easiest and most useful way would be through amazon.com website. I can buy/rent a movie and "Send to TiVo"... so why not buy ebook and "Send to iPhone" (and of course Apple would also get their % of every purchase). What does amazon think will happen if Apple decides to rally publishers to the iTunes store with an Apple-branded "iRead" for iPhone? Or for that matter... how hard would it be for Apple to make a nice little dedicated ePaper reader as another "hobby" like the Apple TV?