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back to article Amazon's app store spotted outside US

Amazon users around the world are reporting that the retailer's Android store is now selling apps worldwide, despite the company's denials and our own failure to buy anything. Amazon's alternative app store was launched in the US only, and the company tells us that this remains the case. However users from Australia, India, …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Managed to download the free app yesterday (in UK with UK Amazon login) but it's not worked today. Looks like a slip-up on Amazon's part yesterday to open it up to everyone (?) that's since been closed.

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  2. Jim T

    It was there, now it's gone

    I managed to snag yesterday's free app of the day: Box It! 2, which is quite cool, but I guess this was an accidental bug rather than a release, as all access has gone now. I've still got box it tho, which is nice.

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  3. cloudgazer

    Support independent software devs

    Don't use amazon's app store.

    Their business practices towards small developers make Apple look like Mother Theresa. Changing app descriptions without consent, changing app pricing without consent, there are several long articles by devs explaining why they're pulling their apps.

    http://bithack.se/news/apparatus-amazon-july-4-2011.html

    http://shiftyjelly.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/amazon-app-store-rotten-to-the-core/

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    1. James Henstridge
      Reply Icon

      So you're complaining that they are acting like a retail shop? At most shops (both physical and web based), it is the owner of the shop who decides how to present the stock and what price to sell items at (presumably setting the prices to maximise their own cut).

      If anything, the model used by Apple's App Store and Google's Android Market where developers have absolute control is an aberration.

      It isn't clear that Amazon's model is much better, but it isn't obvious that it is just bad because it is different. Secretly offering $0 to the developers of the free app of the day seems like a bit of a dick move though.

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      1. Vulch
        Reply Icon

        Any retail shop that arbitrarily decides what price it will pay its wholesaler will quickly find itself without any suppliers. The retailer can decide how much it wants to put on top of the wholesale price, or can decide to run it as a loss leader, but unless it's a supermarket screwing farmers the wholesale price is a matter for negotiation.

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      2. David Neil
        Reply Icon

        Almost, at least in the shop I know what I'll get back from each sale and any loss is meant to be eaten by the shopkeeper

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  4. Adz

    This worked in the UK last night, but looks like Amazon are blocking it again this morning.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Amazon.com account

    Although against their terms and conditions, just register with amazon.com with an imaginative US name and address.

    Install the app store, log in as the fake yank and hey presto. A free app every day.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Tor blimey!

      But do you need a 'merkin issued credit card?

      anon,just because

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      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        eh?

        yes if you want to buy. Look on android market.

        What sane developer would release only with amazon and not google's Android market?

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  6. garhol

    worked yesterday

    Got box it yesterday and bought peggle but today they have dropped the portcullis on purchases, free or otherwise.

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  7. Spudders

    Just dloaded the app from http://www.amazon.com/app-email - installed, logged in with my UK amazon account and all working ok -

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    1. Chris007
      Reply Icon

      did you try to download the free app?

      I did and it failed with the "not avail in your region" message

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  8. Levente Szileszky
    IT Angle

    It's coming and Apple knows this...

    ...as you can witness the debut of Central-European localized online stores of apple.com

    I might be off but I see the causality here - the biggest threat to Apple's growth is Amazon and the day when it goes global with its upcoming $250 "media consuming" tablet.

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