HN Explorer

German paper claims to be blocking iphone based browsers to force app purchase.

2 points by learnalist ↗ HN
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/11/06/europes-biggest-newspaper-decides-the-iphone-browser-isnt-welcome/

Im torn. A part of me thinks this is quite a smart idea, yet the rest of me thinks this is quite a stupid idea. I guess it is a fine line.

Curious to see what others think.

1) I build a site.

2) I then build a iphone app to integrate into the site.

Would it not be best, to perhaps have a page explaining limitations of the web app for an iphone user. ( ie mouseover events )

Personally I think they could have done this better, yet I do to a point like where it could lead.

6 comments

[ 4731 ms ] story [ 663 ms ] thread
dan_the_welder
Oh great, now I need an app for every single website I visit. Oh you don't have one for my phone yet? Oh you are never going to support my phone?

Wait, you've stopped using HTML for your own proprietary markup?

Seriously? This is dumb.

learnalist
It will only be dumb if they try and stay with the limitations of html and current browsers.

If they take advantage of features unique to the iphone I think there is a chance it would be more successful.

What if they gave you a better "offline" search engine than they offer the user thru the browser?

Maybe submitting via your paid app you get a communication channel with "new internet tv newsreaders".

Maybe iphone submitted content gets given priority?

Yes, potentially this development can be looked as a shot in the foot, but I think creativity could make such concepts fantastic and profitable.

allenbrunson
this is an interesting development, but i don't like the submission format. you should have submitted it as a link, and put your own feelings into a comment.
learnalist
Thanks for that tip, I had wondered how best to do it. This will be the last time.
mooism2
Price discrimination: if you're out and about and you can't be bothered to bring your laptop, you have to pay through the app for the news. Or buy a paper copy.

Or you can look at one of their rivals' sites for free.

Between this and Murdoch charging for his UK newssites, we are going to find out for sure to what extent people will switch away to free alternatives, rather than just assuming they will.