We really do need to be able to demo apps (grrr) (quick review of wikime)

[vegas-steven]

I am sure this has been said before but how much money am igoing to waste on apps because I cannot preview them properly?

Case in point, I bought the game break for my wife and was dissapointed. The game was free and still needs to be with the lack of powerups and poor controls.

Next up wikime, a newer app that had only 5 reviews when I found it and all glowing reviews btw. Well wikime takes about as long to get your position and find articles about what is around you as my old motorola took to get online and pull up wikipedia.
It has no map until you open a wiki entry and then click map. So in other words it does not put things on a map like google earth does but instead just shows you things in order of proximity on a list.
You cannot use landscape mode to make pages format better and so therefore they are small and harder to read - and I don't have terrible eyes.

In short not impressed with my app store experience so far. Fee is great but if I wanted to be pike that I could go thru the hasssle of jailbreaking and hoping I don't brick my phone through an update.

I beleve I should pay if the app is good but the me a 25% functinal demo and let me decee after that!

Even xbox live has demos to all arcade games. Microsoft makes developers do demos. No demo no approval to sell the game online! Makes sense to me.

 

[Lil Whoa]

I agree

I sent the following to Apple's App Store Feedback:

Attention Web App Developers and Apple:


Please, if you're going to put a price tag on your apps, allow the customers a (3 day?) free trial period or money back guarantee. iPhone owners would be much more likely to purchase your apps if they are given the option to "Try before you buy" or get their money back (with a limited time) if they're not pleased with their purchase. As of now, we only have the reviews, which are typically 90%(an estimate) opinions from people who have not even installed the apps. If we have a free trial period, customers can decide for THEMSELVES if the application is worth the money.


Please take this into consideration as it would comfort iphone users if they're undecided about forking out their money for an application.


Personally, as an engineering student, I would love a calculator application on my iphone that would replace my TI-89 or anything equivalent. The application would definitely be worth money, but I would be very skeptic of paying a significant amount of money even if "JoeShmo" says it's the "coolest calculator ever!!" in the review. For all I know, this individual did not even purchase the app, or has no prior experience with using complex calculators.


In the end, iphone customers just want some type of reassurance we're not going to waste our money on something that is flawed or will only use once. Credible applications will get the money they deserve.

 

[vegas-steven]

You gotta wonder why apple with thier now infamousky strict sdk doesntforce them to do a demo.

At least that is what I was thinking until I heard on the cnet buzz out loud podcast that Steve jobs was bragging apple sold $30 million in apps in 30 days!
He said it will be roughly $360 million a year in new revenue for apple. So yay for them and boo hoo for us.

I would take even 24 hr trial. These aren't usually big applcations. Give me 24 hours for anything upto $9.99 and 48 hours for full blown apps that cost more and do more that require more timeto evaluate.

Makes sense to me.

Apple listens it seems. The non recessed headphone jack on this new iPhone I am using PROVES that.

But how loud to people yell to be heard?

I am so unhappy with buying break for even $1 that I may call them and say it is broken to get a refund/credit. Never did that before but I may try now.

I sent the following to Apple's App Store Feedback:

Attention Web App Developers and Apple:


Please, if you're going to put a price tag on your apps, allow the customers a (3 day?) free trial period or money back guarantee. iPhone owners would be much more likely to purchase your apps if they are given the option to "Try before you buy" or get their money back (with a limited time) if they're not pleased with their purchase. As of now, we only have the reviews, which are typically 90%(an estimate) opinions from people who have not even installed the apps. If we have a free trial period, customers can decide for THEMSELVES if the application is worth the money.


Please take this into consideration as it would comfort iphone users if they're undecided about forking out their money for an application.


Personally, as an engineering student, I would love a calculator application on my iphone that would replace my TI-89 or anything equivalent. The application would definitely be worth money, but I would be very skeptic of paying a significant amount of money even if "JoeShmo" says it's the "coolest calculator ever!!" in the review. For all I know, this individual did not even purchase the app, or has no prior experience with using complex calculators.


In the end, iphone customers just want some type of reassurance we're not going to waste our money on something that is flawed or will only use once. Credible applications will get the money they deserve.

 

[SeahorseSeaEO]

Keep sending suggestions like that to Apple, please! Developers (well most) want to provide customers with demo applications, but Apple is not allowing them to be approved. Demo's worked quite well for me on the Palm side, and have submitted a similar suggestion to Apple.

The closest we can do right now is the "Lite" applications, but they are not allowed to up-sell inside the app (like saying that you get more features if you purchase the paid version).

-James

 

[ayasin]

Yeah I would LOVE to release a free time limited version of iNeedStuff (forget 24 hrs, I'm willing do to 15 days), but until you guys demand that Apple allow us to to do this it's not going to happen.

 

[vegas-steven]

Yeah I would LOVE to release a free time limited version of iNeedStuff (forget 24 hrs, I'm willing do to 15 days), but until you guys demand that Apple allow us to to do this it's not going to happen.

Well here is an idea, start this thread and add it to digg. I do not know how to add to digg. Anyhow email
This thread around and grow it out. Tell developers about it and have them come.

Point is that these threads seem to dissapear from the official apple message boards, but here we can actually express ourselves!

Maybe this idea is pie in the sky but maybe not.

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

I am so unhappy with buying break for even $1 that I may call them and say it is broken to get a refund/credit. Never did that before but I may try now.

No matter how unhappy with the product you are, this is fraud. I won't take the side of the app store, as I agree with you about the demo thing, however doing this would be lying.

 

[vegas-steven]

No matter how unhappy with the product you are, this is fraud. I won't take the side of the app store, as I agree with you about the demo thing, however doing this would be lying.

right. On the flip side I find the game IS BROKEN as in nearly unplayable. But in the end you are right. Don't want to take that out on the developer but it hurts when apple spent over a year preaching quality as a reason for no 3rd party apps and now they have issues (iamrich anyone?)