Amazon has quietly launched a new web app called "Kindle Cloud Reader" that allows Chrome and Safari users to access their Kindle eBooks through their browsers. The Cloud Reader also supports the iPad version of Safari, giving Amazon a workaround to Apple's new subscription rules requiring any in-app sales to go through Apple's purchasing system.
As noted by TechCrunch, the new system is already live at http://read.amazon.com and works quite well on the iPad:
The iPad version is especially good because the store is fully optimized for the device. And you can easily switch back and forth between the store and your own library. It feels like a native app, but it’s not.
The web app even supports local storage so that you can read your Kindle books even without a web connection.
Apple has been at odds with many content providers after implementing their new subscription rules preventing native iOS app publishers from selling content outside of Apple's own in-app system. Amazon complied with the rules by removing the Kindle Store button from their native application, but for the iPad now has this web-based option that does directly integrate with their sales system.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Stuff like this shows how useful HTML5 can be. I'm pleased to see things like this myself, great work from Amazon.
Since it's HTML5, it's a bit like Amazon beat Apple at their own game with this. :DLooking forward to see more things like this powered by HTML5.
And it really does serve Apple right for the terms they enacted. It's also a good move should Apple decide to become even more anti-competitive with their App Store terms.
A big corporation exploits the little guy, and the whole world cheers?
A sad day.
Neither of these companies are "Little Guys"
a joke maybe ?
the only exploitation has been on Apples part. Milking everyone with their stupid App store rules.
Too greedy and that is why Amazon did this.
But you understand that ....right?!
Let's face it, many of the apps are just document viewers or smallish databases. The problem is with the "gold rush", everyone went native, destroying basically 10 years of moving stuff to the Web where it fit gracefully. The 80s and 90s was where boxed software was the rage, where you had to install it locally. The late 90s brought us rich web applications where server-side dynamically generated HTML technologies the likes of J2EE and other, simpler stacks.
HTML5 solves a lot of the issues we had client side (offline storage, richer UIs) and moving forward, a lot of apps just make sense as webapps.
This is funny and ironic seeing as Apple originally only wanted web based Apps with the original iPhone.