This Week's Sponsor:

Hello Weather

Half Off for WWDC Week, Just in Time for Summer.

Posts tagged with "app store"

A Tale Of Two Mac App Stores

In our previous Mac App Store coverage we focused on how, among other things, it will be very likely that Apple won’t allow the release of “trials” and “demos” in the new Store for Mac. As Mac developers also noticed and wrote in blog posts, it’s unknown at this point whether Apple will introduce new rules for volume licensing, educational discounts and other purchase systems Mac developers have been using for years on their websites.

The fears and doubts of Mac developers are worth our consideration as Apple has a huge deal on its hands, and nobody wants to see Apple “screw up” with an App Store on the Mac. So let’s just consider this: what if Apple doesn’t change the rules and understands that the Mac is ultimately different from iOS when it comes to customer experience? What if the first version of the Mac App Store that will roll out in January will be a simple “copy” of the one seen on iOS? In that case, there’s a chance for developers’ websites to stay in the game and become the real alternative to the Mac App Store, and not a “system from the past” headed to disappear. Read more

32% Of iPad Owners Have Never Downloaded An App

The App Store is famous because of its simplicity and one-click downloads, right? I mean, that’s the reason Steve Jobs is even bringing it to the Mac. Well it turns out that according to a survey by nielsenwire, 32% of iPad owners have never downloaded an iPad app, and 5% have downloaded only free apps.

You can see the numbers in the pie chart below. 63% of iPad owners have bought apps in the store, with Games obviously taking a huge 62% of the charts.

I believe nielsenwire is a reliable source, but I really can’t see why would anyone want to keep a device apps-free. Maybe it’s the iTunes account creation process? Read more

How Much Money Can You Make On The App Store?→

How Much Money Can You Make On The App Store?

Dylan Ginsburg, developer of River of News for iPad (which I reviewed here), quits his day job to become a full-time iOS developer. As a first step, he posts the results of RoN in the App Store so far.

“OK, what about satisfaction with my work? I don’t have a chart for that but I don’t think I need one. Developing River of News has been the most rewarding “work” of my life. It’s not even close. My sleeping is all screwed up because I keep thinking about how I can make my software better. That’s right, “my software.” What a great thing to be able to say. I’ve gotten such tremendous satisfaction from creating something that people use and like.

Less money, more satisfaction. What do I do?

I resigned from my job this week. My employer treated me well and I thank them but I’ve got a shot to do something amazing and I’m not going to pass it up. If I can be successful at this then all I need to earn a living is a laptop and an internet connection. I can do that anywhere in the world and on my own schedule. Wow. That’s a life changer.”

It is indeed. $20,000 in two months is not bad, but he could get a lot more with full-time development. I bet he will. Also, developers:

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. I’ve always had a reliable salary and a good standard of living. But I’m taking my shot.”

It’s stories like this one that keep the App Store running. Take your shot.

Permalink

Apple Adds “Halloween” and “Vocabulary Apps” Sections to the App Store

Just like every Thursday, Apple added two new custom sections to the App Store: a “Halloween” one is a go this week, together with another one dubbed “Language, Grammar & Vocabulary Apps”.

The Halloween section showcases “gruesome game and other ghostly delights” such as Plants Vs. Zombies, DOOM Resurrection, Pro Zombie Soccer and Halloween Soundlab. You can check out the section (which contains more than 40 between apps and games) here.

Language, Grammar & Vocabulary Apps, on the other hand,  features reference and dictionary apps, apps for kids, grammar games and poetry applications. Gems like the official AP Stylebook app and Words with Friends are in there. You can check out the section here. Read more

The App Hall Of Fame→

The App Hall Of Fame

Discovering the very best apps is an increasingly difficult task. There are so many new applications released that it becomes harder and harder to find the gems in the crowd — especially so once that special new app smell wears off. That’s why we’re here. The App Hall of Fame exists to archive the very best of the best in mobile apps. The apps inducted into the hall of fame are considered to be the very best in the app store, the cream of the crop, as it were.

A fun and interesting project. I’m in the selection committee.

Permalink

Is Apple Working On A Game Store?

Apple is looking for a better way to separate “regular” apps from games in the App Store. In fact, in a matter of a few months we might be looking at a brand new version of the App Store specifically meant for iOS games - a Game Store.

Read more

Apple Now Showcasing Augmented Reality Apps In The App Store

There was a time when getting an AR (Augmented Reality) app approved by Apple was practically impossible. They didn’t want the iPhone camera to be used for other purposes than, well, taking pictures, and developers couldn’t display additional information on the camera screen. Eventually the App Review Team revised its rules and now, especially after Apple’s outing with the App Store Guidelines, Augmented Reality apps are featured in the App Store. Read more

Ten Dollars And The App Store→

Ten Dollars And The App Store

What did $10 get you 15 years ago? All the games that would fit on a disk. A 5-inch floppy disk. Considering the massive improvements to the user experience, and the amount of utility that an app like Tweet Library offers, that copy of Duke Nukem 3D isn’t looking as expensive anymore. Toss in inflation, and your getting a Rolls Royce for the price of a VW Bug. Or, in more reasonable terms, two of those caramel soy moccachino things you drink every day.

The same happened when OmniFocus for iPad came out. And that app is priced at $40. What is the problem with these people that can’t do anything besides complaining and asking for discounts in forum posts? Why do they keep on criticizing developers when they price professional software (yes, Tweet Library and OmniFocus for iPad are professional apps. That’s it) at anything more than .99 cents?

These hypocrites pay $500 for an iPad an they expect every kind of app to be free / priced at less than a dollar. The real problem is the App Store gives too much visibility to games, and less importance to niche, more focused applications. It’s like go looking for a great bottle of red in a candy shop.

Permalink