TUAW hands on: the simple joys of Koi Pond

All application marketplaces are usually filled with light, 'filler' apps for people testing the waters... Facebook's apps were mostly contrived and annoying when they first came out with it (though some will argue that they still haven't come out of that entirely yet)

Again, no disrespect for Koi Pond. Clearly it is a pleasant distraction and the authors did a good job or it wouldn't be at the top of the app store.

But the fact that it is the TOP seller is sort of alarming to those who want a little more beef. With 2000 bad programs and no end in sight, all I see is brief and mildly positive revues of a few pretty dull apps. Where is the "Hey Apple - where are the REAL programs? Stop piling all this **** on us!". It's time for people to start giving them a little grief about it so they don't think everything is OK. Maybe they were just overwhelmed trying to roll out too much at once, but to me the App store(and all the nondisclosure nonsense, etc) needs fixing fast. Allow the iPhone to be great.

I'm old enough to remember Apple's stubbornness allowing Windows to get their foot in the door, and dread seeing it happen all over again...

Clever but pointless

Most game consoles have simple, "useless" games when they are introduced, it's just a matter of learning the device. I think we'll see much more advanced stuff later on.
I ignored Koi Pond quite some time, but bit the bullet and bought it. And I must say it is a very nice application, which actually makes yourself relax if you look at the pond long enough.. just like sitting next to a real pond and dreaming away.... :)

I sold my first-born on the black market so I could afford to buy a gun so that I could murder my family to collect money for Koi Pond.

I murdered my family just so I could collect money for Koi Pond.

I bought an iPhone 3G just for Koi Pond.

I use Koi Pond to show off to anyone 40 years of age or older that have never heard of an iPhone, or very little about it. Koi Pond never fails to impress them, and it's a hit with the kids, too. It's well worth the 99 cents.

I'm one of those who think 99% of the apps in the store are useless. That said, I don't think Koi Pond belongs to those. While it has no business use or any utility, it has some value to it. It's certainly a novelty app brings out some the device's capabilities.

Now how about that app that displays a drawing of a mouth? :)

Depends what you consider "useless" I suppose.
I find Koi Pond to be a lovely little program. As "useless" as computer wallpaper maybe, or ringtones.

Depends on what you consider "innovative" for what is basically an iPod Phone, too.