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Apple Launches '1 Billion App Countdown' Promotion
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I don't even know what I would do with $10,000 of iTunes money. That's alot of $1 apps!
i don't find this fine print. the rules i read on the official site say this:
Timing. The Promotion shall run from 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 10, 2009 and ends with the downloading of the 1 billionth app (Promotion Period). For purposes of the Promotion, the downloading of the 1 billionth app is considered to be either the downloading of the 1 billionth app from iTunes or the receipt of the non-purchase entry after the download of the 999,999,999th app, whichever comes first. Only entries submitted in this time period will be accepted. Sponsors computer is the official time keeping device for this promotion.
this seems to me to indicate that the billionth app/entry is not the winner but the marker of the end on the contest. any app downloaded or entry form submitted "in this time period will be accepted."
am i misunderstanding this?
I think the grand prize should be one billion iPhone apps for free.
It's too bad that you'd have to buy 5,555,556 iPhones to told them all, since you get only 180 apps per iPhone, but that's a minor inconvenience.
Actually that 180 includes the built-in apps that you can't delete, so I guess you'd need more like 6,024,097 iPhones.
It's too bad that you'd have to buy 5,555,556 iPhones to told them all, since you get only 180 apps per iPhone, but that's a minor inconvenience.
Actually that 180 includes the built-in apps that you can't delete, so I guess you'd need more like 6,024,097 iPhones.
From the sweepstake official rules:
"The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app."
So every submition now does not make you eligible to win, just gets us closer to the submition that will win.
"The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app."
So every submition now does not make you eligible to win, just gets us closer to the submition that will win.
...
That's because you're looking at the Timing section.
Have a look at the Sweepstakes section.
That's because you're looking at the Timing section.
Have a look at the Sweepstakes section.
There is no correlation between what you can hold on your phone and how many apps you can buy. I have 2 hundred apps on my computer but only 4 pages on my phone.
Sweeet, I just entered! How amazing would it be if someone here on MR won the contest? 
I'm older than 13, but put it in my dad's name anyways. I think thats what most people under 13 would do anyways.
This eliminates half the readers here so that should get some negative votes.
I'm older than 13, but put it in my dad's name anyways. I think thats what most people under 13 would do anyways.
I think it should be around the 30th of April, at the rate they're being downloaded at the moment. Of course, Apps are being downloaded at a faster and faster rate all the time, so who really knows? I'm going to be keeping an eye on it... Could certainly help pay for my gap year .
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Why is this so hard to understand? any app you buy or download for free now will make you eligible for winning. When 1 billion downloads have been reached, the winner will be announced.
btw, my app 2009 Awesome Facts Pro is free, in case you are looking for some free apps to download
thanks luke, i found it.
but doesn't that seem to contradict the timing section? the choice of the word "entry" is misleading, methinks.
But only the 1 billionth download (or submition) will win. Thats what's being questioned. So if the ticker is anywhere near being correct right now, you are about 72 million downloads off from winning (i.e. a 0% chance of winning if you submit now).
No problem
I guess the whole point of making it seem like every entry counts is that people download 25 apps per day.
I'm going to make a graph of the amount of downloads from this link http://www.apple.com//autopush/us/itunes/includes/countdown.txt
That seems to be going a lot slower than the fake counter, hence me thinking that it's pretty close to being the actual number.
Link.
http://www.apple.com//autopush/us/itunes/includes/countdown.txt
The number on the right is definitely the amount of apps downloaded in the previous hour, I've kept track. That is, if that link displays the real number.
Hmm...
http://www.apple.com//autopush/us/itunes/includes/countdown.txt
The number on the right is definitely the amount of apps downloaded in the previous hour, I've kept track. That is, if that link displays the real number.
Hmm...
This is taken from the rules section on Apple.com. From the way it looks you have to be the final entry or the 1billionth downloader or submitted entry.
The prize will be awarded for the entry (either through an app download or through the non-purchase online entry) sent immediately following the download of the 999,999,999th app. The potential winner will be determined by the order of the entries received.
+1
i cant believe apple is lying to us!
I also predict that we will hit 1 billion apps at approximately April 21, 4:02 PM Central
i cant believe apple is lying to us!
I also predict that we will hit 1 billion apps at approximately April 21, 4:02 PM Central
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i did out the math it will end on april 24 around 4:00 if downloads remain consistent
Did you think the counter is tied to a real time feed? It loads a file with the time, current count, and a third field which I think is the rate. The code then extrapolates these initial values into a rate at which it should run the counter. It probably uses your system time to calculate an initial offset.
Thanks, based on the rest of the contest rules I think you're right. They're just confusingly, and contradictorily, written.
The values in the file correspond to:
Date and time in CA | current count | change in count since last report
It looks like it's updating once an hour, so the change can be used to calculate the rate at which the counter is changing, unless the counter is using an optimistic calculation.
The values I've seen:
10-APR-2009 05:00:00|927585027|155902
10-APR-2009 06:00:00|927767980|182953
10-APR-2009 07:00:00|927991954|223974
10-APR-2009 08:00:00|928257635|265681
I look forward to your chart