Are E-Readers Going HTML5?

Apple’s standing policy has always been that if you don’t like the limites placed on the app store, you’re totally allowed to make an HTML5 web app out of anything you like. Now, in the wake of Apple’s href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/tag/in-app-purchases/">in-app purchase restrictions, RWW is reporting that href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/apples_new_rules_prompt_more_e-readers_including_k.php">a number of prominent e-readers are going HTML5.

Rather than facing trying to give Apple a 30% cut of the revenue — which they often don’t have to give — e-reader service and store Kobo has said href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kobo-developing-html5-ereading-web-app-to-serve-ios-users-broaden-reach-strengthen-commitment-to-open-ereading-126181988.html">they’re going to create an HTML5 app instead, saying:

Following recent App Store policy changes imposed by Apple, Kobo, a global leader in eReading with over 4 million readers worldwide, announced today that development is underway on an HTML5 eReading web app.  With the development of the HTML5 app, Kobo will continue to provide the most optimized experience for iOS users and users on other Kobo platforms.

[...]

Over the past weeks, Kobo has worked with Apple to create a solution that would benefit the iOS eReading community within Apple’s new App Store guidelines.  Unfortunately, Apple has mandated that Kobo, along with all eBook retailers, substantially change the eReading experience for consumers by removing in-app access to the Kobo store.

The Financial Times href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/financial-times-rejects-apples-app-store-subscription-model/2011/04/04/">did something similar earlier this year.

It’ll be curious to see if this leads to a shift in popularity of the web app, with more big companies moving that way to avoid Apple’s control over their content. Does this mean Google Books, Kindle, and Nook will do the same? What about magazines offering subscriptions? And will they work offline?

I guess we’ll have to wait and see,