Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Did Apple just commit iPad/iPhone suicide? [Updated/Corrected/Retracted]

Per Digital Trends:

Apple has rejected an e-book reading app from Sony, citing a new change in policy. Apps can no longer sell or access content not purchased through the App Store.

So, you've got a popular smart phone (the iPhone).

And you've got a popular tablet (the iPad).

And you've got competition (Android).

How the hell do you come up with the idea that you can be the winner in that situation by putting up additional roadblocks between the customer and the content, especially when you're already asking more for your hardware than the competition is?

I admit that I'm on the bottom end of the prospective iPhone/iPad customer set, and that I've been leaning toward going Android when I get a tablet anyway, but this seals the deal. Why would I buy the higher-priced Apple hardware when Apple also artificially limits my options for using it?

Update: AppleInsider reports that the original story on Apple's "new policy" was incorrect.

Apparently the requirement for an App Store app is something like this: If it offers content other than via Apple's commission-producing scheme, it must also allow the user to choose to buy it via the Apple route. Which isn't as bad by a damn sight.

Sorry about that.

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