[nickconfer]

Three reasons.

1) Apple has more active credit cards than Amazon.

2) If someone were to purchase a book on an iOS device it is more likely they have an active credit card on their account than an Amazon account with an active credit card.

3) One payment system is easier for customers to understand and trust.

Steve's wording here may have indicated better technology in his mind, but I doubt that is true, given amazons incredible focus on taking credit card payments accurately and quickly. Reasonably though the reasons outlined above would be good reasons it was better overall, even if it really wasn't consumer friendly in the end because of the lock-in.

[MatthewPhillips]

#1 #2 state the same thing, and although it may be true, I can't think of any way this makes the payment system "far superior". Is Amazon something you only use once and it's a hassle to have to enter in your credit card?

#3 is not something anyone believes, even you.

I'd counter with iTunes hysterically bad receipt notifications. Typically you get a receipt between 3 days to 2 weeks after you buy something. Every time I receive an iTunes receipt I have to strain to remember way back when I bought the thing the receipt is for.

[wavefunction]

iTunes is a horrible store front, so I had to vote you up. Maybe it was acceptable for what was available when it launched but it's coming up on 10 years later and basic features that would aid discovery are still missing.

[etler]

Amazon is huge. Do you have anything backing your first claim? I wouldn't feel comfortable claiming either side has more cards without a source.

[fleitz]

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/apples-stash-of-cre...

[Oletros]

That article say how may cc have Apple, it doesn't say that it has more than Amazon because it says nothing about Amazon