10000 apps and only a handful are any good

[notintheleast]

Man, who cares? We should all be completely happy that the app store has so many apps, regardless of their quality or function. It's always growing and IMO there are constantly great new apps rolling out. You may have to pick through a bunch of useless apps to get to anything good, but thats not something anyone should really complain about..... Be happy that it's constantly getting bigger and better.

 

[cjm3113]

90% of the apps are junk. But it's a different 90% for each person. I have one app in the store which is absolutely useless for over 99.999% of iPhone users, but a few times a week there's a new customer who thinks it's great.

There might be 100 near duplicate flashlights in the store, and most people don't need any them, but maybe customer A prefers one icon, and customer B prefers to see another icon on their phone.

YMMV.

.

Ding Ding Ding! Obviously no single one of us has a use for all 10,000 apps, but you can guarantee that every single app is owned/used by someone somewhere.

 

[mrbass]

I agree about 90% are really bad. Leaves a sour taste in ones mouth too after getting burned so many times by it's only a $1. Once people see they've wasted $100 they're less inclined to buy decent ones that come out just based on past experience in the app store. Most of the apps we praise now 6 months from now they might not hold the water as I'm sure more and more polished ones will finally be coming out. It should be good as currently the good app developers have to compete with beta releases full of empty promises so they feel pressure to release theirs too even though in an unfinished state.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Over the past week I've discover that you can take the time and build a quality app which people will love(I get great feedback) but if Apple does not feature it then you're dead in the water.

I will admit I submitted a "cheesy" app first(see sig) but it was my first one and I wanted to do something fun. My second app I planned and filled a gap in the market and so far it's working out really well. I think as more and more people stop buying and start complaining about the crap on the app store developers will start creating worth wild applications.

I just looked at your iOwn - see, that is what I am looking for. Apps with depth!

I'm a long time Palm user and have narrowed my "must haves" to Datebk and Handyshopper. I need the depth that handyshopper has on it - i use all the features.

That won't deter me from saving up for my iPod Touch though, there is enough other "fun" stuff i want. But as a person looking to buy and to replace my Treo with a small phone (save me from texting that way again) AND a Touch, well, i need to investigate what is out there.

And i keep coming up short - for me, i don't want 5 different pieces to do what i need done. Beef up the main app and do it all in one. I'm a different type of user though - i admit that.

But i wanted to say your App looks great - i've marked it as something i'll buy when i get my stinkin' Touch! LOL!!

I was going to post a question asking - how in depth can the apps get because they seem like they are all just touching the surface. I have a friend that i keep encouraging to write some - she doesn't have time right now though. But darn it, how else am i going to get my app for the kids doctor visits?!

ANYWAY, i appreciate each and every app "you guys" have created, i truly do - programming was not my thing, i tried. But i want more - and i'm willing to pay more.

I'd like to see some better categories - or sub categories in the store. I find it frustrating to have 5 pages of stuff to weed thru....

OK, back to work this morning.

 

[kas23]

I agree with the above poster; it would be great to have more complex apps that have many functions instead of 5 different superficial apps. But these superficial apps are filling a great void right now - there's no other choices currently. And if people take months developing a killer app, they're going to miss the boat as other developers are just going to rush out half-baked versions that people will immediately jump on due to having no other choice.

As we see the app store mature, I hope people stop trying to make a quick buck with minimal effort. This will only happen if people stop buying them, become a little bit more patient, and buy more thought-out apps instead.

 

[KRAPPS]

Yep. Its 90% utter crap. Kind of surprising and a shame really. Still, for the 10%(ish) of good quality and worthwhile apps out there, it still makes the app store worthwhile.
You just have to dig around a little to find the good stuff.

And there you have it ... the birth of KRAPPS ... when you get lemons, make lemonade ... every one needs a good laugh and outing KRAPPS is one way to achieve it.

 

[MacToddB]

And there you have it ... the birth of KRAPPS ... when you get lemons, make lemonade ... every one needs a good laugh and outing KRAPPS is one way to achieve it.

I love it! I just signed up to follow you on Twitter!

And regarding the apps and numbers... The web is full of garbage too...probably MORE than 90%, at least in the eyes of each individual user. The problem isn't the apps, it's the AppStore. We need a Google for the AppStore, i.e. a better way to search. Maybe Apple will get it, the way they 'got it' about having 3rd party apps in the first place. But having lived through the MobileMe launch, I'm learning to be patient.

"Entertainment"? That's too broad a category. Would you go to a music store and start browsing for Entertainment? No, you'd look for Rap, Hip Hop, Sould, Pop, Dance, Vocal, Acoustic, 70's, Big Band, etc. The AppStore should have sub categories for shooter, puzzle, bodily sounds, etc.!

You should be able to filter by category, target age range, price, popularity, reviews (and not just 'on delete' reviews), date... Just look at GameStop.com or other established sites.

Mind you, my app, 100sounds, has reached #13 in Entertainment, so it's been working out well for me, but it is hard to browse, as a user.

 

[kas23]

The problem with the "the-Internet-is-also-full-of-crap" argument is that the Internet is a non-regulated entity. You can throw any sort of garbage into the Internet and it will stay. The App Store is supposed to be the opposite - a strictly regulated entity, but it is still filling with crap. One of the reasons the App Store exists (besides the #1 reason=$$$) is to save people from searching all over for apps. Soon, we are going to have the same problem that plagues Win Mo - it's too hard to sort through all the garbage to find useful apps.

The 2nd argument against this argument is that there exists multi-Billion dollar services that help organize and help us make sense of the Internet. The App Store is young and maybe someday there will be a Google for the App Store. Until then, I find appshopper the #1 authority.

 

[KRAPPS]

I love it! I just signed up to follow you on Twitter!

And regarding the apps and numbers... The web is full of garbage too...probably MORE than 90%, at least in the eyes of each individual user. The problem isn't the apps, it's the AppStore. We need a Google for the AppStore, i.e. a better way to search. Maybe Apple will get it, the way they 'got it' about having 3rd party apps in the first place. But having lived through the MobileMe launch, I'm learning to be patient.

Thank you for the follow - we appreciate your interest!

And totally agree ... it's tough just keeping up with all the new app releases, yet alone trying to "discover" something within the App Store ... developers are really going to have to get creative in terms of marketing and standing out from the clutter.

Congrats on #13 ... that's a helluv an accomplishment!!

 

[MacToddB]

And totally agree ... it's tough just keeping up with all the new app releases, yet alone trying to "discover" something within the App Store ... developers are really going to have to get creative in terms of marketing and standing out from the clutter.

Congrats on #13 ... that's a helluv an accomplishment!!

Thanks! I'm gonna write an article for iPhone Life on how it happened. I'm a Marketing guy, so I created a web site, with the domain name of the app (http://www.100sounds.com) and put up a Flash demo and FAQ, which has helped not only with sales but it's cut down on the questions. The biggest question we get is "I can't hear anything" and it's because we obey the Mute switch! So that's the first change I'm making on the app's built-in help page in the next update!