December 12, 2008 by Eddy Philipe
According to an open letter to Steve Jobs written by a programmer named Craig Hockenberry, the way that the app store is set up is making it harder and harder to produce quality or complicated applications. The problem, according to Craig, is summed up by the fact that a huge number of the 10’000 or so on sale cost 99 cents.
Craig’s letter explains that because the App Store can only feature new applications for a very short time, they must make the majority of their money back quickly which is of course easier to do if your development costs were lower. This leads developers towards simple applications and away from complicated projects that might cost more and take a while to finish.
This is a problem, firstly because it’s obviously also an incentive to skimp on quality. Secondly it leads developers away from chasing that big breakthrough programme which fundamentally changes the way we do things. The upshot, Craig contends, is that the App store inspires innovation, though only in the arena of simple things like basic games, not in any way that is likely to have a meaningful impact.
Craig probably has a point, the way users interact with the App Store may well be flawed, unfortunately he doesn’t have a solution. Apple would do well to consider a way around this.
Related posts:
