Will Apple Be Censoring Books, Too?

[Swede]

-snip-

While we could care less about Amazon's profit margins, if Apple were to take a 30 percent cut of every Kindle book, that would wipe out every penny Amazon makes on them. Leaving Amazon the options of eating the cost to stay on the iPad, raising prices to make up for it or ditching the App Store entirely. That's the immediate set of concerns for readers using their iPad as a Kindle device (like I did).

It's a funny thing to consider that the future of publishing—according to the single most powerful media executive in the world who says the iPad essentially asks journalists to "completely reimagine our craft"—rests in part on a device and platform as tightly controlled as the iPad. A platform controlled by a company which could very conceivably ban books—because it has.

http://gizmodo.com/5751288/apple-inc-publishing-company?skyline=true&s=i

[RKP5637]

1. Hi-tech version of "Fahrenheit 451." n/t

[Lucian]

2. Fuck Apple.

The Android platform will kill the iPhone, as it should.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is light years better than the iPad as well.

[savalez]

3. +1

[girl gone mad]

5. Yep.

Happy I made the switch.

[Odin2005]

11. Naw, there are too many Apple Fanboys for Android to kill the iPhone.

[Lucian]

19. I don't understand why anyone would use Apple.

Their OS is way too simple. I'd feel stupid using it.

[Odin2005]

20. Stupid OS for stupid people.

Apple is all about catering technology to the technology-illiterate. Because of that they can take advantage of such people by charging more.

[HuckleB]

27. In other words, it's bad to create user-friendly products.

:rofl:

[Odin2005]

37. No, it's bad to take advantage of peole by selling them over-priced crap.

[HuckleB]

38. That's why I've purchased Apple for 25 years.

Every item I've purchased had a much longer period of utility than a comparable PC product. I saved serious money.

[darkstar3]

42. No, you really didn't.

The "Apple Tax" is very real, so you overpaid for your hardware by a significant amount. As for software, the only real way to save money on that is to go FOSS.

[Lucian]

48. They charge you too much for their products...

and make it too easy to use. They insult your intelligence.

But you'd have to be pretty stupid to use it in the first place (and to buy their products).

[Initech]

44. I have an iPhone and I hate it. I really want the HTC Evo as soon as I can get one.

[neverforget]

25. My wife and i have the Droid X for 2 weeks now. We love it.

[backwoodsbob]

31. I will be getting the wifes droid x soon

all I can say is something better is coming

[Lucian]

47. I have the Droid 2 Global.

Excellent phone.

[Warren DeMontague]

50. For that, you'll want the new "ifuck" app. nt

[toddaa]

4. Apple is all about control

Over its employees, its developers, its partners, and its customers. They are in a race with Google for the most evil tech corporation ever.

[Initech]

6. Like I said:

Apple's continued insistence over a closed system nearly bankrupted them in the mid 90's. Before Steve Jobs retook control, they had this other guy - Gil Amelio (look him up on Wikipedia). He tried to open up Apple's system to developers, but it couldn't be done. Apple has too much control over the products it releases. And if you try to break open a closed system, it will end badly.

[ClassWarrior]

15. Actually, Steve Jobs' being forced out nearly bankrupted them in the mid 90s. Read the...

...John Scully interview on CultofMac.com: http://www.cultofmac.com/john-sculley-on-steve-jobs-the-full-interview-transcript/63295

The closed system limited Apple's growth, made them second tier to Microsoft, but it was the suits who nearly tanked the company.

NGU.

[Initech]

16. It's always the suits, isn't it?

[jmowreader]

49. Open systems aren't all that great either

When you call the software company who says the video card is the problem...

then call the video card company who says the operating system is the problem...

and then call the operating system company who says the memory you're running is the problem...

you wonder just why open systems like Windows, which in reality is proprietary as hell, are supposed to be so great.

Yes, I could switch to Linux but there's one small problem with it: I cannot run InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Pitstop (a PDF editor) or the DTI application framework under Linux, and those five programs are what enable me to eat and live indoors.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. I own stock in both

We have secret stock holder meetings where we order the company executives to keep developing technology to take over the world!! And damn, you figured it out.

[toddaa]

45. I own Oracle stock

Our meetings are about buying out both Apple and Google, so we can fire all their employees and make their products really shitty.

[sailor65]

7. The Ipad is worthless as a book reader

having the content on the Ipad wouldn't be worth paying Apple.

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. I love mine!

I use it every day for reading books. Don't find it worthless at all. :shrug:

[backscatter712]

8. This is why I went for an Android.

They're a much more open platform!

[KansasVoter]

9. Apple gets away with this because they have a cult following.

[HuckleB]

34. What is apple "getting away with?"

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/02/01/apple_denies_claim_that_sony_reader_kindle_in_danger_on_ios_app_store.html

[Canuckistanian]

10. Just bought a new phone. NOT an iPhone

And why? I REALLY wanted an iPhone.

But since they BANNED the Wikileaks App, I thought... if they can ban Wikileaks, what else am I NOT seeing?

I refuse to be treated as if I were an 8-year old and some corporation-daddy was deciding what's BAD for me.

[MilesColtrane]

36. I'm looking at the Wikileaks mirror page on my iPhone right now.

With a tap, I'm looking at the Wikileaks Twitter feed on my iPhone.

Someone needs to tell my iPhone that it can't do that.

[proud2BlibKansan]

46. LOL

[Canuckistanian]

51. That's not the point

Apple can't STOP customers from downloading information. They CAN however, prevent access through denying easy pathways through their Apps.

The mere fact that they're doing this is censorship, especially for those have no NO CHOICE over their access options - like Apple users.

[originalpckelly]

12. I don't have an iPad, but I do have an iPod touch.

Honestly, I think this smacks of anti-competitiveness. Someone should sue them to stop this bullshit.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Me too. First gen. And iBooks isn't supported on it. Which gives me another reason entirely...

...to be pissed off at Apple.

NGU.

[NYC Liberal]

13. While this is bullshit, I love my iPhone and my iPad

It'll take a lot to get me to switch phones.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Same here.

[HuckleB]

23. If you read the reality, this is hardly a big deal.

This is just typical "must bash Apple" nonsense.

[NYC Liberal]

39. I think there are some legitimate complaints about it BUT

you're right in that some people just use it as another excuse to rant about Apple.

[darkstar3]

43. Upgrade your firmware on schedule and see if you keep singing that song.

My iPhone 3G is a brick now compared to what it was when it came out. The obvious planned obsolescence pisses me off.

[emulatorloo]

18. For heavens sake - There are books everywhere.

Apple is not going to take all your books away

[dionysus]

21. it's amazing. on mon, tues, and weds, bill gates is the most evil person in the world

on the alternate days, it's steve jobs and apple....

it's hard to keep track of.

[tammywammy]

29. Today we have both

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x353538

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. I wouldn't call Gates the most evil

But I'm not a fan pretty much 24/7.

[HuckleB]

24. The whole article is hyper propaganda of the worst kind.

The hypocrisy of this author is quite stunning.

[HuckleB]

22. The article seems to contradict itself.

It appears that the products must be available within the app, as well as outside the app. It appears to be merely an option that Apple is demanding be made available. It appears that customers can still purchase the products from other vendors. Thus, this whole line of baloney about censorship is even worse than it first appeared.

What a bunch of crap propaganda.

[HuckleB]

26. More about the reality of the situation. The headline is completely bogus.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/02/01/apple_denies_claim_that_sony_reader_kindle_in_danger_on_ios_app_store.html

This is just more blind, anti-Apple propaganda.

[treestar]

28. Private companies cannot "censor"

They sell what they want. If they aren't selling what you want, find someone who is.

[dionysus]

41. shhhh... don't confuse the thread with "facts" or "logic"

;)

[backwoodsbob]

30. the Ipad?..seriously?

We all have kindles

[vim876]

40. Who needs book-burning...

...when firmware updates are so much easier?