Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple, Developer, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
2008 Best App Ever awards voting is underway
The nominations are out and voting has begun for the "Best App Ever" awards for 2008, recognizing the best iPhone and iPod touch apps of the year. Nominations have already happened -- the public submitted almost 18,000 nominations, and a panel of developers and experts was assembled to finalize the choices. You can vote right now over on the website for the winners in categories like "Best App Ever," "Best Musical App," and "Most Creative Use of IPhone Hardware" all the way down to "Best Word Game."Quite a list of choices. Voting ends on January 6th (so get started testing those apps if there are some in here you've never heard of), and the winners will be announced next week at Macworld Expo.
Unfortunately, the App Store changes so fast and is so varied that some of the most useful apps (SnapTell Explorer is in for the hardware award, but it's missing on the "Most Useful" list) are not on the list in favor of more popular or well-known apps (Weightbot is a great app and very well done, but "Most Innovative"? And you know how I feel about Ocarina). Still, as a popularity contest, it'll be fun to see what comes out as the winners, and I can guarantee that in all of the many categories presented, there are a few really great apps that will come to your attention for the first time.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ack154 said 7:48AM on 1-02-2009
To even call it Best App "ever" is a bit extreme... and just stupid. It's not like people aren't making new ones. I realize it may be trite and all... but would a name of Best Apps of 2008 be that awful?
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Tim said 8:32AM on 1-02-2009
This is just a marketing tool for 148apps.com. All the links are attached to 148apps.com "Affiliates Account". I not saying there is anything wrong with that as they do provide personal reviews of the apps, so I guess their time is worth something if you value their opinions.
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Bill MacKenty said 9:05AM on 1-02-2009
Easy. Hordes of Orcs.
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Neil said 9:20AM on 1-02-2009
This is stupid. The applications haven't been out for a year yet, but we're voting on which ones are best? Come on, give it some time.
Also, why is the application "Classics – A Collection of Literary Masterpieces" in the category "Best 99¢ app" when it costs $4.99?
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Jeff Scott said 11:19AM on 1-02-2009
A couple quick notes - the name came mainly from a friend who always showed me the latest app he downloaded and called it the best app ever. Part joke, part serious, all meant in fun.
Regarding price changes. The app developers can change the prices quickly. The price related categories were checked when the nominations were finalized. If devs decide to change their prices after that, so be it. Just don't vote for them I guess. The rules are on the about page http://bestappever.com/about and this is listed.
Cheers,
Jeff
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James Loper said 11:27AM on 1-02-2009
none of the "most useful" apps are useful. just saying. i like the idea though, should be called Best of the App Store 2008 Awards
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Tom Hesser said 8:03PM on 1-02-2009
Not useful to you perhaps, but you can't say they are not useful at all. Personally I use 4 of the nominated apps on a daily basis.
In fact, I just used 1Password to look up my Tuaw logging password. =)
joe said 12:00PM on 1-02-2009
as someone else stated this is just a marketing pyramid (with affiliate links). similar to the "top lists" sites where they encourage people to link back to the site (in this case developers) in exchange for the promise of traffic back to them.
again, not that it's inherently wrong or anything, but not as valuable as a "real" award given by a site that has inherent traffic (like tuaw).
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iTech Developments Systems said 10:50PM on 1-02-2009
Hi to everyone,
Just wanted to say to all the people that thinks that the applications that are on the "2008 Best app ever awards" are only applications that have some relationship with 148apps.com or are sponsors on that site is not true. I'm an independent developer with no affiliation to that site and my application is not even one of the 100 most selling applications on the app store and it's nominated in the "best 99 cents app" category. The name of the app is iRec Voice Recorder, here is a direct link is you want to check:
http://bestappever.com/v/a99c/298779205/vote
I didn't even know that webiste until I received an email on december 31 from someone from 148apps.con called Jeff Scott saying that my application app is a finalist in one or more categories at the 2008 Best App Ever Awards!! Sponsored by 148Apps.
So I should thank all my customers for voting for my application.
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3pm studios said 10:49AM on 1-03-2009
We are also a company that has no affiliation with 148Apps. Our app, Preschool Pals - Henry & Hailey is nominated for best Kid Distraction app. This nomination has been a wonderful thing for us. We have already gotten two newspaper articles about our app because we are up for the award. This award nomination has helped us in our public relations and marketing. You can vote for us here http://www.bestappever.com/v/kidd/297430717/vote
Hopefully we will win the award but even if we don't, I think this will help our sales.
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Jason Greco said 8:44AM on 1-04-2009
I agree with some of the earlier posts. It seems like a marketing scheme to me. But, maybe I'm just cranky because my app (www.beerheroapp.com) didn't make it to the finals though :)
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jonst52 said 1:59PM on 3-05-2009
Their slogan is "Honor the best, not just the best selling", but it seems that the nomination committee honored not the best, but the most hyped. Only this explain the presence of Lexitron (instead of Muddled or Wordle) and Deep Green (instead of tChess Pro), just to name a few.
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Tom Hesser said 8:21PM on 1-02-2009
Not true, although you can choose to disbelieve me.
Nominations were open to everyone visiting the site, with nominations mixed in from reviewers and developers. Given the limitations, not all apps could be represented, nor have we reviewed a fraction of the thousands of apps present in the AppStore.
I, personally, only nominated apps that I have used, so even though there are other cool apps available, if I haven't tried them yet (or required having a 3G iPhone), I did not put them in my nomination list.
So, did most of you wake up on the wrong side of the bed on New Years Day or what?! Why the hate? We are just trying to do something we love and help people learn about quality apps. If you don't like it, go browse some entertainment sites instead. o.O