Amazon opens Appstore Developer program, is obviously doing an app store
It was no secret that Amazon was working an Android app store, including some early work with developers, but Amazon's "Appstore" (see what they did with the space there?) Developer Portal just went live. So, no doubt that this is happening, if there was any left in your mind, and we've got a nice stack of details on the store to tide us over until Amazon launches this thing. Amazon is looking to strike a balance between Apple's ultra strict store rules and Google's unvetted mayhem, and will be examining and testing each app before it goes onto the store. Amazon is also going to control pricing, with developers allowed to set a "list price" that Amazon will riff on, adjusting the price based on magical algorithms. There's the standard 70 / 30 split, and Amazon promises that the developer will get no less than 20 percent of the list price. Apps will be promoted to folks browsing Amazon.com just like how Kindle books pop up among physical goods, and can be "pushed" to your device similarly. It's all very intriguing if it catches on, which seems particularly likely on non-blessed devices that don't have access to Google's Market (like the bevy of WiFi-only tablets, the market Amazon claims to be targeting), and developers who want to get in on the action can fork over $99 today to get started.
