Filed under: iPhone, App Store
A better App Store
How could the App Store be made better?
- Some means of trying software before you buy it It's frustrating, to say the least, that the only way to find out what an app is like is to buy it, unlike the 'try before you buy' scenario that's common with Mac apps. Sure, you can read the reviews, but they can't give you a complete reflection of the app's features, nor do they always offer fair comparisons between similar and competing apps. Example: you've bought FileMagnet, then Files comes out. Is one app better than the other? Might one suit your work habits better than the other? Is one a better value, or more stable, or have better features? The only way you can find out is by buying both. (Yes, the Ad Hoc distribution system exists for, well, ad hoc distribution, but it isn't the answer for consumer-level trying-before-buying.)
- Ensuring reviews are fair A lot of TUAW readers have contacted us about the unfairness of App Store reviews from people that haven't actually downloaded and tried the apps concerned. Some people add reviews based on the price (or screenshot) alone. Should that be allowed?
- Add a shopping cart At the moment, when you tap BUY, the next option is INSTALL. How about replacing INSTALL with an alert that says the app has been added to your cart, queue, or list? Then you could continue browsing, and return to the list later to confirm your purchases -- and remove anything that got in there by mistake.
How would you improve the App Store?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Captn Apollo said 12:05PM on 8-06-2008
Better organization. I want to see more categories. Like which games are sports games, or card games, or action/adventure games. I'd also like to know which games are actually decent and produced by quality studios and which games my neighbor hacked together and is selling for 999.99, so I can avoid them.
Also I would like to see a "new today" feature that gives me a clue on what is actually new in the store.
Reply
Hobbes said 12:19PM on 8-06-2008
Agree 100%. For me the most lacking features are the ability to see what's new to the store and also a better way of searching for apps.
Currently if I don't know the name of an application and what it does up front it's really difficult to find it in the store. Most of the apps I bought were through referrals in web articles, not by browsing the black hole that's the AppStore.
Apple lists as "New" apps that have been there from the start. How can I see what's been just released to the store?
I miss also a quicker way to see descriptions of what the apps do, instead of having to click on each one and go to a separate page. In the old iPod games section you could select a game and see right next to it the description and even instructions on how to use it.
As a developer I'm a bit hesitant to publish to the AppStore as I'm sure the app will be hard to find.
Simon said 12:26PM on 8-06-2008
Skip categories, add tags!
belden said 12:41PM on 8-06-2008
@Hobbes
The best (and really only) way to find out what apps are new is to go to the main page of the App Store, look down the left side to "Categories" and click on the selection you want (iPhone, iPod Touch, or both). This will give you a list of apps that by default, is sorted by release date. Apple seems to begin adding new apps at around 11:00 PM EST each night and it continues throughout the night. The only problem I've seen is that sometimes apps get added and don't show up until a day later, so you have to browse through until you see new ones. This is also good to see which apps have been getting updates. (You'll also get frustrated when you realize Apple seems to release all similar apps at the same time, so you might get five beer drinking applications on the same day).
Also, try looking here: http://www.pinchmedia.com They have a feed of new apps, but I've found that occasionally they miss something.
Tony Bowman said 12:06PM on 8-06-2008
I definitely think you should have to have purchased something in the App Store, and in iTunes in general, before you can post a review of it or rate it.
I want to see better update tracking as well. iTunes tells me that I have 4 updates ready to download, but when I click through, the page where those updates would be listed is blank. Frustrating.
Reply
akatsuki said 12:18PM on 8-06-2008
Totally disagree. There are a ton of apps out there that shouldn't be charged for, and it is painfully obvious... In fact, it is useful to post, for example, a website that is free and iPhone compatible or another app that might replace that app..
LuminousNerd said 12:21PM on 8-06-2008
But if you haven't tried the app, you don't know that it isn't better than the free one, so you have no business telling people not to buy it. Most of these comments you call helpful are utter n00bs who are too cheap to pay for something ... "This is lame, this should be free"... Just because they can't afford it they give it a bad rating. This is SOOO unfair to the app developer! And to those of us who don't mind giving our hard earned money for a decent app!
However, it should not be this way in iTunes. There are other ways to listen to music than just iTunes, so it's entirely possible (probable) that a reviewer has heard the music, they are fully eligible to review it.
Lane said 8:11PM on 8-06-2008
What they REALLY need to do to the reviews is have the default sort by "Most Helpful"
Eckofish said 12:07PM on 8-06-2008
From my perspective, the biggest problem right now, besides the amount of calculator apps there are, is the reviews system.
I don't think that users should be permitted to review an app, song, movie until their account history actually shows that they have purchased it.
I also think that there should be a better reporting system for spam, incorrect posting etc... As I have sent in around 10 problem reports regarding review spam and irrelevant reviews bringing down an apps rating.
But those same reviews still sit there, to the developer detriment.
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Kraln said 12:32PM on 8-06-2008
How would I make it better?
Allow sellers to respond, allow threaded comments, or just allow sellers to disallow comments/ratings altogether.
I keep getting one-star reviews from people who have obviously not even tried my app, or from those who just don't understand, etc.
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Jason Hung said 12:17PM on 8-06-2008
How hard would doing a trial be? As far as I can tell, Apple's been able to do it with movie rentals--surely they can apply it to applications! Since FairPlay is already being employed by the apps, let users try it for free for 30-days (or developer-specified).
Developers also need to be empowered to give apps for free to beta testers, such as an app voucher/token. Since the App Store is being advertised as both a paid and free distribution model, Apple would be wise to let developers distribute their app in more than one ways. They could offer special promotion periods and define DRM limits for trial uses.
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LuminousNerd said 12:26PM on 8-06-2008
I would say that 30 days is a bit unreasonable. For a mobile app, I'd say a couple of days, a week max... or 10-30 minutes actually in-app would be good.
Also, developers should be able to disable trials if they want to.
I like what DizzyBee did -- they offered a crippled version for free as a demo, and as a result, I'm sure they've gotten a lot more sales (at least one here). Smart developers will do the same -- you don't have to wait for Apple to enable this!
John Kirk said 12:39PM on 8-06-2008
Why do you even need a trial version? As of last count there were 30 "lite" versions of programs that acted as free and permanent way to try their for pay equivalents. Free versions are easy to administrate while trial versions add layers of complexity that may cause trouble. Is there really any need to have timed trials when free trials already exist?
pmup said 12:19PM on 8-06-2008
First, I would have Apple actually test the apps (as they alluded they would) so it does not crash and brick my iPhone!
Second, I would not allow a review from a person that did not buy the app!
Third, remove the junk that does nothing but degrade the store like the Iamrich app!
Forth, they need a much better bug reporting system. No one want to own a phone that needs constant restores, constant re-installs of apps, and can get so easily bricked when an app just quits leaving you with no phone.
Apple will never see any significant in-roads into business against RIM due to this. Imagine an IT department constantly re-installing and unbricking iPhones when users install badly design apps that hose up the device. Isn't this what Steve Jobs meant when he said third party apps would not be allowed on the iPhone when it first launched and pushed for web apps?
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brandon said 7:49PM on 8-06-2008
Do you have any idea what bricking is?
pmup said 9:14PM on 8-06-2008
@brandon
Sorry if I might offended the fanboy in you. Bricking iPhones are being reported all over the Apple discussion forums and in the ADC bug reporter as well as all over the web.
By your comment I guess you trying to say none of us are smart enough to know when an iPhone gets totally stuck on the Apple logo and will NOT do anything else. That is a brick to me and probably all the other users it is constantly happening to.
Semantics being what they are no quitting app, should render a phone totally useless and needing a complete restore that takes quite a long time that requires iTunes running on a computer. The iPhone is just as useless as a brick when you are on the road and depending on a phone. Correction, the iPhone is less useless than a brick. I could build something with a brick!
With this happening Blackberry users and especially biz users are laughing at the iPhone. Who would risk their biz on this unstable device.
I have been a Mac user for years and I support plenty of users as a consultant. The iPhone rollout was a pity. Even after almost a month and a useless iTunes and iPhone update the problems you might either not having or ignoring persist. Just visit Apple discussion forum or any Genuis Bar. Apple needs to respond better and fans need to be honest and stop the wise comments.
pmup said 9:22PM on 8-06-2008
@Brandon
From Wikipedia:
When used in reference to electronics, "brick" describes a device that cannot function in any capacity (such as a machine with damaged firmware). This usage derives from the machine now being considered "as useful, and as entertaining, as a brick."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick_(electronics)
Now you know know what it means!
LuminousNerd said 12:18PM on 8-06-2008
How about a true "newest apps list"? What they have now is just for featured items, I would love to be able to see all of the newest stuff in order in the App store.
Also, most important, there needs to be a way to talk to support, the iTunes support email is a black hole so I want to be able to call and talk to someone.
I really want a refund for SuperBallSucker...err, SuperMonkeyBall.
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Falkirk said 12:42PM on 8-06-2008
For newest apps, try subscribing to this RSS feed from Pinch Media: feed://feeds.feedburner.com/RecentlyAddedIphoneApplications-PinchMedia?format=xml
It provides a daily list of new apps. Very useful.
belden said 12:46PM on 8-06-2008
I posted this above but since it addresses your issue, I'll post it again here to make sure you see it:
The best (and really only) way to find out what apps are new is to go to the main page of the App Store, look down the left side to "Categories" and click on the selection you want (iPhone, iPod Touch, or both). This will give you a list of apps that by default, is sorted by release date. Apple seems to begin adding new apps at around 11:00 PM EST each night and it continues throughout the night. The only problem I've seen is that sometimes apps get added and don't show up until a day later, so you have to browse through until you see new ones. This is also good to see which apps have been getting updates. (You'll also get frustrated when you realize Apple seems to release all similar apps at the same time, so you might get five beer drinking applications on the same day).
Also, try looking here: http://www.pinchmedia.com They have a feed of new apps, but I've found that occasionally they miss something.