Why stop with in-app purchases?
by Pete on September 29, 2011
So a while back, Amazon shut off purchasing within their Kindle app for IOS, and then created their Cloud Reader. Now we hear that Facebook has been holding off releasing its iPad app and is working on an HTML5 version (I would provide a link, but it’s to TechCrunch, and I refuse to send them traffic).
Most of the analyses I’ve read of these decisions comes to the conclusion that they are mostly means of avoiding giving Apple its 30% cut on in-app purchases.
Thus, my question: why would Apple stop with in-app purchases? Why not declare they are going to take a cut of in-browser purchases as well? It’s their platform/channel, so I’m not sure how the same logic used to justify the in-app purchase tax doesn’t apply to the browser as well. The obvious response is “They would be crazy to do that,” but that doesn’t actually answer the question.
Update: It seems that the Financial Times has gone the HTML5 route as well, and to some degree of success.
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