IPhone developer laments glut of free and cheap apps
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Have you noticed that every day, or at least it seems, there are hundreds of new applications to sift through in the iTunes App Store? Apple has racked up 10,000 downloadable programs for its iPhone and iPod Touch. And many, if not most, cost no more than 99 cents. Great, right?
Well, not really, says developer Craig Hockenberry. His argument: The proliferation of what he calls ‘ringtone apps’ -- low-cost, high-interest applications that are shiny and flashy and not terribly complicated and shoot their way up the top 10 list -- is deterring the development of more advanced offerings.
Hockenberry’s company, the Iconfactory, has released three apps: Twitterific, which is free; Frenzic, which costs $5; and Twitterific Premium, which costs $10. Twitterific, which helps iPhone users Twitter better, is listed in Apple’s Best of 2008.
So, Hockenberry has written an open letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs explaining ...
... the effect on his business. The developer writes on his blog:
We have a lot of great ideas for iPhone applications. Unfortunately, we’re not working on the cooler (and more complex) ideas. Instead, we’re working on 99¢ titles that have a limited lifespan and broad appeal. Market conditions make ringtone apps most appealing.
So the focus shifts to more superficial and cheap.
Why the rush to turn iTunes into the 99-cents-only App Store? Hockenberry surmises it may have something to do with the fact that folks are buying these apps sight unseen. As those of us frequent buyers know, sometimes there aren’t any reviews listed -- and even when they are there, some of those can be suspect.
Some customers do complain when an app is above that 99-cent price point. But, he asks, do consumers do that with Starbucks?
Well, although consumption of Starbucks and iPhone apps could both qualify as an addiction of sorts, at least with a cup of coffee -- whether a skinny hazelnut latte or a half-caf mochaccino -- you know what you’re going to get.
His argument is that, yes, Koi Pond and Ocarina are fun and cool, but the quick-hit approach could discourage the creation of that transformative utility, which probably would cost in real dollars and human resources. Maybe this could be an argument for instituting trial versions for download.
-- Michelle Maltais
