Screens VNC's awful rating in the App Store

[JoutlawPhysics]

Hi MacRumors,

I've been doing some research for the best VNC app for the ipad, and Screens VNC consistently gets high marks...except on the App Store. There, the Screens VNC is rated 2 stars by only 6 people. With its popularity on various blogs and forums (including this one), I am confused by the App Store listing. Have they released a new version of Screens that is terrible?

I was considering purchasing this app, but I am wary of the App Store listing.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks

 

[longdogs]

I have no idea why it's so lowly rated, the UK store has it at 4* from 62 reviews. I've used it for a year or two and have never had any problem with it. It's the best vnc app I've used.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Hi MacRumors,

I've been doing some research for the best VNC app for the ipad, and Screens VNC consistently gets high marks...except on the App Store. There, the Screens VNC is rated 2 stars by only 6 people. With its popularity on various blogs and forums (including this one), I am confused by the App Store listing. Have they released a new version of Screens that is terrible?

I was considering purchasing this app, but I am wary of the App Store listing.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks

While I haven't personally tested it (it's rather new and I published my VNC roundup back in 2009), the last thing you should consider when shopping is the AppStore rating, particularly with non-game apps.

Sometimes even top apps are called useless when "reviewed" by a lot of people not knowing how it should be used or how it compares to alternatives.

That is, safely ignore AppStore reviews.

 

[longdogs]

Agree with the above.

It is post-2009, but Screens isn't that new though - version 1.0 entered the App Store in December 2010.

 

[Bear]

... but I am wary of the App Store listing.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks

I have seen 1 star reviews where the person said it was great and 5 star reviews where the person said it was pure garbage. "It" being whatever was being reviewed, wherever.

What you need to do is actually read the reviews and see if what is being said makes sense and if it affects you.

 

[sk1wbw]

I wouldn't put it past competitors to leave ratings like that. Pricks do it all the time on Amazon.

 

[Menneisyys2]

I wouldn't put it past competitors to leave ratings like that. Pricks do it all the time on Amazon.

And also self-rating (with 5 stars, of course) is very common, particularly with "noname" Chinese devs. I've spotted several of them while reviewing multimedia apps.

 

[JoutlawPhysics]

While I haven't personally tested it (it's rather new and I published my VNC roundup back in 2009), the last thing you should consider when shopping is the AppStore rating, particularly with non-game apps.

Sometimes even top apps are called useless when "reviewed" by a lot of people not knowing how it should be used or how it compares to alternatives.

That is, safely ignore AppStore reviews.

Agree with you. The AppStore I've now learned hides reviews of any previous version and doesn't include them in the broadcasted rating. So there's a penalty for you App developers and a lesson: don't release new versions. Seems ridiculous. I hope devs know about this.

anyway, 419 reviews were waiting for me to find, with an average 4+ star rating. Thanks for all of your input.