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iPhone Apps - Useful or Shallow?
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It’s hard to believe that the iTunes App Store has only been around since July. I currently only own an iPod Touch, but it’s hard to image not having the ability to download Apps onto it.
The New York Times has written a very interesting article about the App Store, and the craze that has surrounded it. I think they raise some valid, and interesting questions about the App Store and just what makes it so popular.
Statistics show that 9 out of 10 iPhone owners have downloaded atleast one App from the App Store onto their device. I don’t think there’s any question to the popularity of the App Store, but how about its usefulness?
I would like to ask a follow-up question to the 9 out of 10 iPhone. How much use do you get out of the Apps that you’ve downloaded for your device? I believe that the responses would be quite varied. The factors for how useful an iPhone App is based on the user. I’m sure for people that travel, that iPhone Apps are used in abundance. I’m not a huge traveler, and there’s a few Apps that I continually use on a regular basis.
Sportacular, is probably my most used App as I use it to keep up with my favorite sports teams and when they play in the upcoming week. I also use Wikiamo quite a bit, as I always seem to need a bit of information on obscure subjects quite often.
What I find most surprising about the App Store is how many of the ‘cool, but I’ll never use’ Apps make it to the “Top” lists on the front page. iFart Mobile is sitting atop the Top Paid Apps at the moment. I keep trying to think of reasons why so many people want it on their phone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for having a slew of fart noises on command, but having it at the #1 spot? It just seems wrong somehow.
Of course the most popular category for downloads, is Games. For the Top Paid Apps, 7 out of the 10 are games. This isn’t a huge surprise, as it’s always handy to have some entertainment when you’re having to wait in a boring lobby or line.
What I really want to know, is how do you use the App Store? Do you download useful Apps that you use on a daily basis for organization and business purposes? Are you an iFart Mobile owner? Do you do quite a bit of gaming on your iPhone?
January 5th, 2009 at 8:59 am
The thing is I’m willing to pay a buck for an app I’ll laugh at for a couple of days and then delete. Haven’t bought iFart yet, though.
To be honest, I had better games on my Tapwave Zodiac (Palm clone). I could play full-blown Quake on it, as well a a slew of other emulated games that will never make it to a locked down platform like the iPhone. (Actually, the Zodiac was locked down, too. But then the company went under.)
iPhone games are all okay, but are hampered by the lack of physical controls. Tilt is an okay replacement much of the time. But often, it’s just a gimmick.
What I really like are the mobile apps that fill in for the times I’m not at a computer. The Weather Channel, Facebook, Woot watchers, RSS feed readers, Safari, email. That’s where I get real value.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Interesting that I found both this article and the one I am linking in my Newsreader on the same day. Joe Weaks does a better job than I could answering your question, John.
http://macbiblioblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/iphone-usefulness.html
January 6th, 2009 at 7:44 am
hmm, I’ll have to check out Woot watchers
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