Well, if we're just talking ebooks sold directly by Apple, then 30% is pretty much standard. Amazon are (or were, last I looked) charging similar amounts.
If Apple are also providing the storage and distribution facility even in a case like Amazon Kindle books, well, yeah, that's more than payment processing but it's not what Amazon (or anyone else in a similar position) wants.
For services like Hulu Plus or Dropbox (I'm not sure if Apple has come for them yet, but if not it's only a matter of time) it really is just payment processing, and 30% is an outrageous amount.
As I understand it none of the iPad magazine/newspaper things have done very well so far. Hype at launch, then subscriber numbers rapidly dropping off. I mean, why would you bother when the same content is on the web for free? Even if it's on the web but behind a paywall, an iPad app is going to have to be "insanely great" to be worth paying the premium compared to simply using the pay website in the longer term.
We had to set up (and pay for) the special iPad support on our corporate VPN because someone very high up got an iPad and wanted it. It's not like this is the first shiny to have this sort of flow-on effect (I've talked plenty about the millions we paid to do Exchange because the suits wanted Blackberries), and it won't be the last. I'm fine with that, just not with the huge fucking-up of the content market this risks creating.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-04-16 11:49 am (UTC)If Apple are also providing the storage and distribution facility even in a case like Amazon Kindle books, well, yeah, that's more than payment processing but it's not what Amazon (or anyone else in a similar position) wants.
For services like Hulu Plus or Dropbox (I'm not sure if Apple has come for them yet, but if not it's only a matter of time) it really is just payment processing, and 30% is an outrageous amount.
As I understand it none of the iPad magazine/newspaper things have done very well so far. Hype at launch, then subscriber numbers rapidly dropping off. I mean, why would you bother when the same content is on the web for free? Even if it's on the web but behind a paywall, an iPad app is going to have to be "insanely great" to be worth paying the premium compared to simply using the pay website in the longer term.
We had to set up (and pay for) the special iPad support on our corporate VPN because someone very high up got an iPad and wanted it. It's not like this is the first shiny to have this sort of flow-on effect (I've talked plenty about the millions we paid to do Exchange because the suits wanted Blackberries), and it won't be the last. I'm fine with that, just not with the huge fucking-up of the content market this risks creating.