Apple Store Eldon Square
Grand Opening
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
10:30am - 7pm
I've been making my rounds across the web since Windows 95.
You can find me consulting on the next generation of social media, advising companies on the iPhone development platform and doing a spot of web design here and there.
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My girlfriend broke up with iTunes.
So, after a long and mutually beneficial relationship my girlfriend broke up with iTunes. A few months ago, the introduction of a variable pricing model to the iTunes store wasn't exactly met with a warm reception. The vast majority of iTunes users are affected by the change, simply as a result of their taste in music, but whether this affects their spending habits is yet to be seen. Competition in the music download space is tense, with the two main runners being Amazon with their young but gun-ho MP3 store and Apple with its deep rooted iTunes store. I can safely say that up until a few months ago I would have got into bed with iTunes every time, but that's changing.
Just looking at the top 10 list of singles available both from iTunes and Amazon, it's a no brainer which is the better choice for consumer. Downloading 256K non-drm tracks from Amazon still allows you to import them into your iTunes library, removing a barrier to entry most people would be put off by. I never really took into account the real impact this change for iTunes would have, but a real music fan closes the door on 1 Infinite Loop, that's when you know there's trouble ahead. What's your opinion on this variable pricing model, and how could iTunes fight back? Sound off in the comments. [image courtesy of engadget.com]
Keeping developers accountable.
Back when Apple first launched the iPhone in June 2007, there were only a hand full of applications, these came pre-installed on the phone.
It's now been just over a year since the release of the SDK and we've seen ~65,000 applications hit the iTunes App Store, granted, most of these aren't worth downloading, but the 1% that make up the majority of downloads are what drive momentum for the platform.
I regularly check for updates to my library, probably more often than I should, but that comes part-and-parcel of being a geek.
It wasn't until today that I noticed something strange while I was putting together a list of applications that I have yet to review, I came across 'Critter Crunch', of the first iPhone applications I downloaded.
So, naturally I went to the App Store to rate the latest version, but according to Apple, I hadn't purchased the app, meaning I was restricted from submitting a review. That seems a little strange, considering that 'Critter Crunch' is sitting on my iPhone as I type up this post.
Knowing my way around the App store, I pretty much knew why iTunes thought I hadn't purchased this app.
Technically speaking, I haven't purchased 'Critter Crunch', from it's current owner anyway. Because you see, this applications, along with a few other note worth sales, such as 'Where To?' was purchase by another development company.
That in itself wouldn't be a big deal, but it's the fact that I'm no longer entitled to updates, which grates on me. If you're going to develop an application with the intention of selling it, the least you can do is protect your customers for future updates.
OK, so I don't know the circumstance surrounding this particular purchase, but the short and curlies of it come down to Capybara Games selling the rights for distribution to Starwave Mobile. I mean come on guys, it's not a lot of money, but there are certain expectations. I have no intention of repurchasing the same application, just for future updates.
If you've had this experience with another application on the App store, or have something to add? Sound off in the comments.
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