Comments on: What Amazon Should Do With Its Kindle iPad App

By: Shayan Sanyal

Shayan Sanyal — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:43:31 +0000

Seriously hope to see a kick ass HTML5 Amazon app that groups together their various stores, VoD streaming, Kindle purchasing (including mag purchase) that by default is multiplatform. All I’d need is a bookmark on my device and off we go to do some shopping. I think building a ‘view only’ kindle app (just the reader) is a good idea. Would the app be able to link back to Amazon’s HTML5 site in any way or would that break Apple TOS?

By: ArrowSmith

ArrowSmith — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:24:02 +0000

Apple has to learn how not to be evil.

By: Pierce Wetter

Pierce Wetter — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:34:30 +0000

Ah, thanks for the clarification there.

You know, personally, I think this would all go away if Apple changed their policy such that the “renewal” or the “2nd purchase” was 15% instead of 30% when done via the Apple in-app store.

That means that Amazon would be paying Apple more than their highest affiliate rate, but then Apple would also be dealing with tech support, payment, etc. so it might not matter so much.

For other apps, the message is “we take more on the first sale because we’re helping you get that first sale, but the second sale is all you”.

Either that or just make a different price rate for media then for app upgrades. Amazon does this for their seller services, their cut varies all over the map depending on the product category:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/seller-account/mm-product-page.html?topic=200274770

Computers are 6% up to Grocery and Gourmet Food that’s 20%. Media items are 15% + $1.35.

By: Piotr Kowalczyk

Piotr Kowalczyk — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:08:49 +0000

Amazon’s mobile site is extremely well designed, so one, two or three more
taps are not a big deal, if Apple won’t give me a choice. Wishlist is one
idea, another one is user’s activity history with “you have finished a free
sample of…” displayed on top.

By: Serre Murphy

Serre Murphy — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:41:17 +0000

Another thing Amazon should do is informally advise their customers not to upgrade their iOS apps after 6/30.

By: James McQuivey

James McQuivey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:51:37 +0000

I think you’re raising the right question — many of my bookseller clients are wondering the same thing (one of them is testing your idea, we’ll find out soon if it works). Another alternative being considered is whether or not you can create a “wishlist” in the app, which you can then go online and click to buy. we’ll see how aggressively Amazon or others pursue these alternatives.

By: James McQuivey

James McQuivey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:49:38 +0000

Yes, but it is in beta and it comes nowhere close to the level of functionality I’m talking about here.

By: James McQuivey

James McQuivey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:34:25 +0000

Just making sure you realize that I’m not suggesting either 1 or 2, Tim. I’m saying do both. you have a native app (that concedes nothing to Apple), and an HTML5 app. You give people both experiences, not one or the other.

By: Brennan

Brennan — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:02:46 +0000

If Amazon HAD to do something, this might be the way to go, but I don’t think Amazon is expecting to have to change anything, even if it does still officially violate the revised Apple terms.

We’ll see though. Maybe Apple would see it as a competitive move for iBooks? I hope not, because I won’t touch an iBook and my primary activity on my iPad is reading Kindle books.

By: Piotr Kowalczyk

Piotr Kowalczyk — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:41:32 +0000

The biggest question is where “buy this book” button links to. If it links directly to a this book’s mobile page with a 1-click button – then yes, this is violation. But what if it links to an Amazon search page saying “You’re searching for” and you have a title of a book in a search box already? It’s not linking to a purchasing mechanism in a first place. The book page with this mechanism comes in a second step, after you click OK.

I know it has nothing to do with 1-click charm, but it had nothing to do before as well.