Google Books Is Back, Without In-App Purchases

Following up from href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/apps-get-slammed-by-apple-over-in-app-purchases/2011/07/25/">earlier reports, Google Books was briefly pulled from the app store over the weekend, but href="http://www.cultofmac.com/google-books-is-back-on-the-app-store-in-full-compliance-with-apples-iap-rules/105986">is now back — and completely missing the links to their web store to purchase books. As with the Kindle, Kobo and Nook apps, Google has bowed to Apple’s rules and removed links to outside web stores.

Apple’s new rules state that in-app purchases must be available at the same rate as web-based, and that all the in-app ones give a 30% cut to Apple. This has caused many apps to completely kill purchases on their apps, instead requiring their users to sign onto their accounts through other methods, and buy content online, which syncs with the iOS version.

I know that this is Apple’s playground and they set the rules — but this whole thing has left a decidedly nasty taste in my mouth.