In reaction to Apple’s recent implementation of in-app store restrictions, Read Write Web reports, a number of e-reader developers have resorted to building HTML5 applications. These applications are essentially self-contained chunks of HTML code that can download themselves directly into your HTML5-capable device for offline use—and since they aren’t delivered through Apple’s app store, they can contain whatever in-app purchase options the developer wants.
One such app is the Financial Times reader, which launched its HTML5 app last month. And today Kobo announced that it was developing an HTML5 e-reader in order to move toward being an “open platform.” (I reviewed the Ibis Reader, another HTML5 e-reading app, a few months ago.)
I applaud the move toward HTML5, which in addition to bypassing Apple’s controls should be reasonably platform-independent as well. But I find myself wondering just a little whether Apple might not decide down the road to break these apps that are circumventing its own app store moneymaking scheme.
