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Apple's Removal of AppGratis From App Store Just the First Phase of Broader Crackdown

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diazj3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2008
879
135
This is the kind of things that make Apple so disgusting for so many. Their App Stores - both for iOS and OS X - suck when it comes to basic tasks as searching for apps, not to mention other limitations, like the lack of trail periods.

When will they separate iTunes as a media manager, from the App Store? By keeping them together, they ensure both are terrible products.
 
J

JAT

macrumors 603
Dec 31, 2001
6,473
124
Mpls, MN
Rogifan said:
And how man of those people would know of this app in the first place? It's certainly not going to be promoted on the AppStore
Click to expand...

Not sure I understand your argument. I guess I'm claiming: More will know if on the Store than if it is a web app.

Zero will know "in the first place". By definition of time.
 
Chupa Chupa

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
dcorban said:
I'm curious how "free apps" are able to pay the publishers of these "app finders" if their app isn't "freemium"? In other words, how or why are apps that generate no revenue paying to be listed by a third party?
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Developer A pays Free App Owner B to include the app in it's daily listing. Developer A's app goes free to get pumped up the Apple charts or if it's an add or freemium app, just to get more d/ls than usually. It's basically a form of advertising which bypasses Apple. That is why Apple is upset, but it's silly because ultimately it still boosts the iOS infrastructure.
 
jtrauscht

jtrauscht

macrumors regular
Sep 6, 2010
126
83
Nashville, TN
Bad for developers and consumers

It's hard enough to get your app noticed. Developers need avenues of promotion to raise awareness for their product. Not everyone can afford to work out a deal with Apple to get them to place their app front and center when it comes out. This hurts everybody and makes Apples look like a bunch of @sses. (I hate saying that, too.)
 
Bernard SG

Bernard SG

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2010
1,354
7
jtrauscht said:
It's hard enough to get your app noticed. Developers need avenues of promotion to raise awareness for their product. Not everyone can afford to work out a deal with Apple to get them to place their app front and center when it comes out. This hurts everybody and makes Apples look like a bunch of @sses. (I hate saying that, too.)
Click to expand...

There is no possibility to cut any deal with Apple "to get them to place an app front and center", though. Apple's philosophy about this is that the Appstore is a meritocracy. An App gets front and center either because it's already somewhat successful or because Apple's staff picked it as worthy of interest.
Developers can't pay their way to visibility in the Appstore.
What I see as really wrong is Apple's lack of consistency. They approved and re-approved Appgratis in the past and all of a sudden they change their mind and put a business in jeopardy. That's totally not ok.
And of course I agree that the search function in the whole iTunes ecosystem is abysmal, totally un-Apple.
 
I

Innoc3nt

macrumors newbie
Apr 10, 2013
9
0
0815 said:
Or like walking into BestBuy and seeing an AppleStore inside...

So Apple does the same thing in real stores .... so why can Apple do it in the 'real world' without confusing customers, but think it would confuse customers in the digital world ? Apple should add a new category for AppStore alternatives and they might even increase their revenue by doing that.
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If you are talking about existing Apple's store-within-a-store program it is a different matter since BestBuy has full control, contract (share of profit, say on which category of product to sell, etc.) of the AppleStores within their stores. May be BestBuy and seeing Frys inside is more appropriate.
 
M

MarcelEdward

macrumors member
Sep 24, 2012
46
0
iGrip said:
It really should be. There should NOT be alternative app storefronts. Only Apple should be allowed. I mean, after all, the hardware is Apple's hardware and the OS is Apple's OS, so why should anybody be allowed to search for apps except the way Apple allows them to? Its only fair.

Don't like it? Don't buy it!




/s
Click to expand...

So we developers should use those companies who do a paid service to get your app high in the app rankings by giving losts of fake revies, by lack of other decent apps to promote our apps than apple prescibes ?
 
iGrip

iGrip

macrumors 68000
Jul 1, 2010
1,626
0
MarcelEdward said:
So we developers should use those companies who do a paid service to get your app high in the app rankings by giving losts of fake revies, by lack of other decent apps to promote our apps than apple prescibes ?
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If you think that is the only possible alternative to what I said, may advice is that you buy Apple products exclusively.

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charlituna said:
There's still a lot of room for improvement. Starting with more consistent metadata and systems to get rid of folks spamming keywords into their descriptions and other stunts. Reducing robot reviews would be another nice item.

And it's not just the App Store, it's all stores. Metadata in the movies etc also sucks. You have soundtracks connected to the wrong item, you have actor searches not pulling up items someone was a major figure in. You have a lack of connections between genres. Take for example Tom Felton, the blonde kid from the Harry Potter films. He's only listed in like 3 of the 8 films and he was a pretty major character in the series. He's also a musician and has had songs up in iTunes for like a year and only recently did they show up if you hit a link with his name. Another example, Stephan Lang from Avatar. His handful of tv show guest spots don't show. Only in the past couple of months did links to is long list of audiobook narrations appear. but if you hit one of his actor links you also get books written by a J Stephen Lang which is not the same guy. I could find other examples as well but you get the idea
Click to expand...


Too bad The Steve alienated Google. Apple could really use thier help with that.

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sbailey4 said:
Exactly what I like about these too. And this is REALLY what its about. I mean Walmart/ Norstrom give me a break. All these link back to the dang Apple Store anyway but as stated you have a chance to get a free app for a day or so that typically you would have to pay for. THATS the beef with Apple I am sure. Not the "its confusing to users" really?!?!?! I open an app, it has one I like, I click it, takes me to app store where I download it. hmmm very confusing yes? "Oh crap I thought I was in apple store not WalMart. oh wait, I AM still in the Apple store whew. That was confusing."
Click to expand...

you need to understand that Apple's main target for customers is now the technologically naive and the technophobic people who do not yet have a smartphone. As such, making things easy to use is a major goal at Apple.

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diazj3 said:
When will they separate iTunes as a media manager, from the App Store? By keeping them together, they ensure both are terrible products.
Click to expand...

They also ensure maximum possible profits, which is their ultimate goal.
 
M

macalec

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2012
252
2
I feel apple should not have removed it. The only reason I could think they removed it is becUse they are making a service similar to this.
 
A

alchemistmuffin

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2007
717
690
JAT said:
All the devs and other geeks on this forum say that. But the millions of non-geeks that have smartphones tend towards store apps rather than figuring out alternative methods.
Click to expand...

Well, they need to smarten up. They are smart, they need to figure out alternative methods. If they aren't smart, they shouldn't be be owning a smartphone in the first place.

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Zmanbaseball2 said:
Luckily i still have it installed on my device:)


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2
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Remember, Apple can remotely disable the app anytime. They already did that with Hidden Apps.
 
Zmanbaseball2

Zmanbaseball2

macrumors 68040
Aug 24, 2012
3,542
11
New York, USA
I got display recorder once when it was on the app store but i never bothered getting my money back for it. It was on it for 2-3 days i believe a long time ago.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk 2
 
Bernard SG

Bernard SG

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2010
1,354
7
macalec said:
I feel apple should not have removed it. The only reason I could think they removed it is becUse they are making a service similar to this.
Click to expand...

Apple actually has a similar service already. It's the free app of the week.
 
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