iFlowReader out of business
Out of context: Reply #37
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- Boz0
Because.. for some of you who don't understand how startups work..
1. When you start a company like eBook reader guys, you only have resources to build one platform first. In the case of these guys it was iOS.
2. They invest a lot of money and are/were probably planning on delivering to Android. But to do this you need to grow.. they don't have resources as a big company like amazon or sony or others to publish to all platforms at once and at the time they started this iOS was the most visited mobile platform.
It's not as simple as that as some of you just spout out..
3. So, when a startup like this, builds a platform for eBooks and when there is no indication or nothing says on developer terms that Apple will require you to use their "future" eBook store and have to pay them 30% for distribution you naturally build and publish things as many others do..just like anyone else..
But, then one day, Apple wants to get a piece of eBook sales and changes rules where publishers and sellers of this type of content simply can't release their apps and platforms on iOS unless they are paying Apple a share.
Keep in mind.. this has nothing to do with the functionality of the platform or making sure you abide by technical rules.. this is pure and complete blackmail. A mafia like racquet.
Yes, I warmly recommend everyone building business on Android first then as a secondary thing to release to iOS simply because of stuff like this but unfortunately Apple has a notable market-share and again, thanks to the same types of guys like iFlowReader.. without them iOS wouldn't even be where it is if people didn't release stuff you needed but Apple didn't have.
It's Apple's anti-competitive nature through and through.
Just imagine.. this is the equivalent of people not able to sell MP3 songs on OSX without going through iTunes and giving Apple 30% share.. But unlike mobile, OSX doesn't change licensing/developer agreement in this way.
Can you imagine what it would it mean for those releasing stuff on OSX? But on mobile it's not important because these companies are small.. and Apple's thing is always better, so anti-competitive behavior is totally justifiable /s