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DaveSt

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It may not be as bad as I feared, assuming the Steve Jobs' email is legit.

Steve Jobs Says Apple Subscriptions Are Only for Publishers | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

""We created subscriptions for publishing apps, not SaaS [Software as a Service] apps," Jobs said an email sent in response to a developer, obtained by MacRumors."

Netflix and Pandora are SaaS providers. At least by most peoples' definitions.

Something doesn't add up here though. Sony isn't a book publisher either are they? They simply sell e-books from other publishers the same as Pandora plays music from other music publishers. Amazon isn't a publisher of books either.

I think there are two issue here, one is the publishing issue and the other issue is selling content outside of the app store. Just because a company is not a publisher does not mean Apple is going to allow for sales outside of the App Store without requiring the same sale be offered in-app. Sony didn't get rejected over publishing issues, they got rejected for directing sales to outside of the app store framework.
 
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Diane B

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Bob Coxner said:
It may not be as bad as I feared, assuming the Steve Jobs' email is legit.

Steve Jobs Says Apple Subscriptions Are Only for Publishers | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

""We created subscriptions for publishing apps, not SaaS [Software as a Service] apps," Jobs said an email sent in response to a developer, obtained by MacRumors."

Netflix and Pandora are SaaS providers. At least by most peoples' definitions.

I read the same and wondered but wasn't surre of his/Apple's definition of SaaS providers. I just decided to quit worrying about it until if/when. Still interesting to follow though
 

Seadog

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So far, the only real issue that I am seeing is books, magazines, and newspapers. Dropbox, Hula, Netflix, and many other issues are not affected. Other than the Sony e-reader, the only one rejected under this, sounded more like a screwup in interpreting the new rules. Which has probably been cleared up and is being reprocessed. Lets face it, the industry is confused, so I imagine that some Apple personnel are confused. As secretive as Apple is by nature, there could be a guidelines in production that will spell everything out for the vendors. It doesn't mean that it will make everyone happy, but it could at least reduce the false issues.

And there are several work arounds that the vendors can use. For example, when I buy a book on Amazon, I usually do it on my laptop at home. When I do that, I can also get a download for my iPad. So that is one possible work around. And what happens if you go to Amazon thru Safari on your iPad. There is no way that Apple can apply this policy to that process. So you buy the book and download it to the iPad. And despite the common opinion, there is nothing to prevent app vendors from making a deal with Apple. For example the free streaming movies and movie downloads from Amazon that are not supported on Mac OS or iOS. Apple could give them a discount for supporting Apple devices. That way they can offer more content to iPad and iPhone users.
 

33hamil

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I am willing to let the powers-that-be fight out the details of this apparent change. I might find a work-a-round for things like Pandora, Kendall, etc. However, I bought my iPad mainly because of MLB.TV. That is a $120 subscription annually. If they pull the plug on that, then I am pulling the plug on everything that I own with the Apple name on it. The recent Jobs email sounds too vague at this point. Why does he just not come out and say (in layman terms) what this means for the consumer!
 

DaveSt

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33hamil said:
I am willing to let the powers-that-be fight out the details of this apparent change. I might find a work-a-round for things like Pandora, Kendall, etc. However, I bought my iPad mainly because of MLB.TV. That is a $120 subscription annually. If they pull the plug on that, then I am pulling the plug on everything that I own with the Apple name on it. The recent Jobs email sounds too vague at this point. Why does he just not come out and say (in layman terms) what this means for the consumer!

Being the cynical person that I am, I believe that things are being kept vague on purpose. As Seadog stated above, we have no idea what behind the scenes talks are going on. What worries me the most about this is the wording that states if content can be purchased outside of the app it must be available as in app purchase as well. That could be large ranging if enforced literally and many content providers would have no choice but to pull their apps. In the end I think the big content players will still be around because their presence helps Apple sell devices.

As for the MLB application I think you are probably safe for now mainly because that app is not in direct competition with Apple, but I guess we all have to wait and see how this all shakes out.
 
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Diane B

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I also don't think anyone knows what it all holds for the consumer. Some may add additional charges, some may just generally up prices across the board, some may do nothing. I think it will have to be clarified for the retailers and develpors and, as said, we don't know what deals will occur.
 
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DaveSt

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Maybe Apple is being vague so they can sit back and laugh at all of us poor schmucks trying to figure it out. :D
 
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Diane B

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Just read a linked blog in TUAW blog about Amazon's "Kindle for the "Web which is in beta. A solution for a problem that they may have figured was coming. Since I read it in the TUAW app can't link it and too lazy to go thrugh Safari but I plan to follow this up. It appears you can try it with some first chapters

Now if my Rhapsody or even Mog or Rdio, though not as good a music subscription site as Rhapsody, can do something similar or work out a compromise with Apple I'll be happy.


Neither will work because its a page of a working demo of Kindle on ghe Web. Just Google it.

Ah, here's a link to it. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000579091[/ame]

Try this one

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000579091[/ame]

Diane
 
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Seadog

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Things in the tablet industry is turning reality around for most related fields. I expect for the next few years, a lot of standard ways of doing business are going to collapse. Then after everyone gets into a pattern, someone will bring out the next great thing. Whether it will be an Apple product, who knows. Manufacturers are always putting products out with the hope of catching the public's eye. That is what Apple has been doing. They bring out quality new products at the right time to connect with buyers.
 

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