Unfair practices in the App Store?

The App Store might be only a few days old, but it has already proven itself to be a viable and potentially lucrative outlet for developers. With so many apps (and more being added all the time) for sale, getting exposure is extremely important if a developer wants to stand out in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the market, especially in the games sector, is very competitive. But is the quest to compete leading to some unfair, and ultimately consumer unfriendly practices? Note: All of this data refers to the U.S. App Store, I'm unsure of the situation in other parts of the world.We got a tip from an iPhone developer, who requested anonymity, about some shady techniques being employed by some developers to obtain a higher app ranking in the App Store. As it stands right now, if you choose to browse the App Store in iTunes, not using the search but using the "All iPhone Applications" category, apps are visually displayed in alphabetical order. Well, they are supposed to be displayed in alphabetical order. As it stands right now, only five of the 21 titles displayed on the first page actually fit that criteria -- and they are the last five apps on that page.Some developers have figured out that adding a symbol or space before the game name will promote the app to the first page. Thus, Solitaire City, which alphabetically should be on page 26, is the very first app listed in the store. Other tiles like Whack the Groundhog, $0.99 Sudoku and 'ColorRise 3D' are all listed on the first page, instead of where they should be cataloged.Gallery: App Store HijinxContinue reading Unfair practices in the App Store?Permalink | Email this | Comments

Thoughts on the iPhone App Store review process

Should Apple have approved "I Am Rich"? Pretty much everyone agrees that it's a useless application. But once approved, should they have pulled it? Jason Kottke says it should stay in the App Store. He argues that Apple should be providing an open marketplace rather than a hand-selected boutique. Say what you will about Apple's App Store shortcomings (no shopping carts? What were they thinking!), iPhone consumers are split between those who'd prefer greater oversight and those who'd rather let the free market decide. Follow the jump for more thoughts about the App Store review process.Continue reading Thoughts on the iPhone App Store review processRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Opinion: Apple should reset all App Store reviews

Now that Apple has done the right thing by requiring people to purchase an iPhone app before posting a review at the App Store, Peter Cohen thinks the company needs to take the next step: zap all the old reviews from the Store.

App Store successful, but shows flaws

Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch has been a big success so far. But there are still numerous usability issues that might hinder further growth.

Developers furious over App Store “Line Cutting”

There’s a bit of bad blood brewing between developers of iPhone Apps these days. It seems several different companies have renamed their iPhone games to begin with either a space, a quotation mark, or some other symbol so that they appear first in the list of 197 games on the iPhone portal to the App [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Developers furious over App Store “Line Cutting”", url: "http://macenstein.com/default/archives/1494" });

App Store - Mobile software distribution solution

The macosxhints Rating:[Score: 9 out of 10] Developer: Apple / Product page Price: VariesThis week's Pick of the Week is somewhat unusual, but I think highly deserving. Instead of picking any one product, I've chosen to give the selection to Apple's new iPhone/iPod touch App Store. After using the App Store quite a bit over the last few days, I believe it truly is a paradigm-changer for the mobile applications business -- much as the original iTunes Music Store was when it opened years ago.Prior to my iPhone, I owned and used a Palm Treo. One of my frustrations with the Treo was finding and installing software for it. Although there's a huge universe of programs for the Treo,...