Comments on: Do We Really Need More Mobile App Stores?

By: mim

mim — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:30:00 +0000

So what you’re saying is that if I have a Google myTouch (which I do) and if I app A but it isn’t sold at the Android Marketplace but is sold in an iPhone version and in an Android version at some other outlet, I should buy an iPhone just for the apps that Android Marketplace doesn’t sell, and carry two or three smartphones with me (and pay for two or three plans) just so I can get all the apps I like?

How would that work with music? Most of the MP3 files I download are from Amazon.com, but now and then there’s music that Amazon doesn’t carry but I can get at cdbaby or elsewhere. Should I do without that music? Am I married to Amazon.com?

How about cooking–should there be only one store for food to cook on a GE stove, and if that store doesn’t carry the food you want, get a Frigidaire to cook it on?

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:08:32 +0000

One store per platform doesn’t equal a monopoly. One phone brand on one carrier with one application store would be a monopoly. As it stands now, if folks don’t like the Apple app store, they can switch handsets (and app stores), so it’s not a monopoly in terms of the phone market itself.

Having said that: do you believe that the Apple App Store and the Google Android Market are the same, or are they different? And no, I own no stock in any mobile-phone company. In fact, I don’t own stock directly in any company, be it tech or otherwise. ;)

By: James Kendrick

James Kendrick — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:44:56 +0000

As long as it’s jkOnTheRun, that would work. :)

By: chris

chris — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:33:45 +0000

Do we really need more than one gadget blog. We should get our information from just on source.

By: mim

mim — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:24:12 +0000

One store per platform = monopoly. I don't understand, jk. Why do you want monopolies? Do you own stock in a mobile-phone company?

By: HeartBeat

HeartBeat — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 07:58:12 +0000

it is free trades like anything else! anyone can come up with new stores new products new platforms and it is up to the consumer to select from.

Regarding apple playing the monopoly part on app store I kinda like it for only one reason. I can purchase any app and install feeling safe that nothing will harm my device or my confidential data.

and I hate apple by the way!

By: MoB

MoB — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:48:08 +0000

Let’s say I buy a Samsung WM phone. I can easily end up with three different stores – one for carrier, one for Samsung and finally one for WM itself. So, if I need some application, what is the proper solution? Correct: give up all those stores and find the application on the web and buy it there.

And from developers’ perspective, it is even worse: can you imagine trying to push your application to zillions of (Microsoft, carriers, manufacturers) stores? Eh… I would just give it up and offer my application (being a developer, which I am not) via web and old-fashioned e-shop.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:15:56 +0000

One per platform is fine, btu when phoen manufacturers, carriers etc start making them it just gets confusing. Especially since those will most likely be less integrated into any device.

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:06:30 +0000

i favor 1 single totally free-to-the-developer app store for all platforms. it must be easy to search, sort, and organize, so that we can sort out all the useless apps.

another solution: sell apps through normal vendors, such as amazon, just like regular software.

another solution: no centralized app store. the developer must host their own buying solution.

By: bluespapa

bluespapa — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:33:29 +0000

The idea of a monopolistic app store I still find shocking after spending years buying software for my computers in a variety of places, through a variety of means, as well as for my Palm devices for a decade. I would say, yes, we need more app stores, but flat out controlled, single company ones like the Apple app store is still shocking to me.

The convenience is that it’s a single venue with a basic standard. The downside is that no one can offer up an app without Apple taking a cut, or controlling the presentation, etc.

By controlling the total experience, though, even someone who knows nothing about software can feel safe loading something on an iPhone. That’s probably okay for a lot of people.