Kermit Hummel in “Apples and Oranges” on the Publisher’s Weekly blog:

[Amazon’s] tools and tricks went a long way toward giving online book buying some of the look and feel that previously had been the domain of the well-read independent bookseller … Amazon’s device prowess with the Kindle has proven to be limited. But its expertise at dealing with book buyers is off the charts. Apple mastered the mechanics of the user interface with its devices. However, the user interface of its retail environment is a potentially devastating doorway through which our industry is passing. Apple is at present simply a lousy bookseller.

True enough. But even if Apple finds a way to replicate Amazon’s “browse-ability,” that doorway will still lead to a locked cage. We need open, and open-source, ebook dealers and platforms.