Hacker News Reader

Comment by bryanlarsen | Hacker News Reader

" I don't see the problem with Amazon and others kicking their users out to Safari to do purchases"

At least as far as I can tell from this article and others, this is one of the things that Apple wants to disallow. At least there must also be an option to buy using the Apple system, giving Apple a 30% cut. And I highly doubt that Apple's going to allow an app that says "click here to buy through Apple, click here to buy through Amazon for 30% less".

View on HN

That would be the core issue - I'm not sure Apple would even allow a "Buy Books" button that jumps to their website from within the Kindle app.

At most, maybe a "Visit Amazon Website" button that goes to the home page, then after Apple approves the app have their site detect iPad users linked from the app, jump them directly to the Kindle bookstore. That's the best end-run I could come up with.

Kindle books are purchased through a WebKit view of Amazon.com in the iPad app now. That's what Apple is saying can't continue and that there needs to be In App Purchasing support. While it has been implied, I haven't heard specifically that they require the pricing to be the same (so you can't charge more for In App purchases to cover the 30% Apple VAT).

I'm not seeing this in the Kindle app on my iPad. Clicking on "Shop in Kindle Store" kicks you out of the app and into MobileSafari.

MobileSafari = WebKit view

OK, sorry to be pedantic, but, no. MobileSafari != WebKit view.

Actually it is, he assigned it in the parent post, == is the equality test. :)

ok, but why would (MobileSafari == WebKit view) be false?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com