After all the great things I've heard about iPhone's marketplace, I was going to get one until AT&T did their little data plan switch.
Then I got the EVO, hoping because Android was a developing market and there were thousands and thousands of apps, it would compare to iPhone's.
Not even close. I'm scrolling through, trying to find cool apps, and most of them seem to be utility apps or some such stuff. Most of the reviews on these things seem to indicate the apps are buggy or the developer has stopped support.
Where are all the cool apps like iPhone has? Are they in the paid section? Even those seem to be buggy from what I'm reading in the User Comments sections. How come iPhone gets great voice to text support (I know people who use this function a lot) and Android doesn't? Corporations are putting out iPhone apps left and right and Android has practically nothing. And the ones they ARE putting out, again, seem buggy.
Seems like a great waste to me.
Someone please clue me in and show me what I've been missing.
The AppStore has an 18 month head start on the Android Market, not to mention there are like 5 times the number of iPod/iPhones then Android devices right now. So it makes since that developers have up to this point been putting a majority of their time and resources into the AppStore. But, with 160k+ Android activations a day and growing Android WILL take over iPhones at some point in the future and we'll really begin to see a ton of developer support as the platform continues to quickly grow.
Ya what he ^ said. Android will eventually be big enough where developers cannot ignore the potential customers. As long as google doesn't fragment the market too much, you should see the big developers start dual releasing software (similar to xbox and ps3).
great voice to text supprt, you know thats google's software tht does that on the iphone
I got a apple fanboy at work and he is always saying my market sucks and I ask him to show me some of his life changing apps, and he has nothing cool
norkoastal said:
Ya what he ^ said. Android will eventually be big enough where developers cannot ignore the potential customers. As long as google doesn't fragment the market too much, you should see the big developers start dual releasing software (similar to xbox and ps3).
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Click to collapse
maybe is apple drops that part of EULA where an apple developer must be only dedicated to apple development or be dropped from the app store, much like our facebook app is far behind the apple one. the new team has to catch up
nbakid2000 said:
After all the great things I've heard about iPhone's marketplace, I was going to get one until AT&T did their little data plan switch.
Then I got the EVO, hoping because Android was a developing market and there were thousands and thousands of apps, it would compare to iPhone's.
Not even close. I'm scrolling through, trying to find cool apps, and most of them seem to be utility apps or some such stuff. Most of the reviews on these things seem to indicate the apps are buggy or the developer has stopped support.
Where are all the cool apps like iPhone has? Are they in the paid section? Even those seem to be buggy from what I'm reading in the User Comments sections. How come iPhone gets great voice to text support (I know people who use this function a lot) and Android doesn't? Corporations are putting out iPhone apps left and right and Android has practically nothing. And the ones they ARE putting out, again, seem buggy.
Seems like a great waste to me.
Someone please clue me in and show me what I've been missing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you looking for in the Market? What do you want an App to do for you? You cannot just get into to the Market to 'look for cool apps'. It will be very helpful if you narrow your search, that way you can get the help you want. The Android Market cannot be blamed for corporations that put out sub-par or buggy apps. Take your issues up with their developers.
If you depend solely on users comments to make your decision about an app, you might end up not trying any. Since Android phones have varied models and specifications there are bound to be different experiences from different users. Even for users with the same device, the App may appear a bit buggy because of the modifications they have made to their phones.
There are different communities of users that review Apps and offer feedback that may be useful. AppBrain is a good one to try. Good luck.
I try not to read too much into user comments because some of the people either dont know how to use the app or are trying to use a brand new app on an outdated android phone/os
BrianDigital; said:
I got a apple fanboy at work and he is always saying my market sucks and I ask him to show me some of his life changing apps, and he has nothing cool
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Click to collapse
Cause there is nothing that cool lol. I've been using AppStore for 2 years going now and still use it with my iPad. To me, the only thing the AppStore does better are the games. That's expected because they have been out longer. I have yet to try any android games so I could be wrong. Most of appstore apps are gimmicks and a waste of space. They do have a good selection of very good programs, as does the android store. Android store also has more free programs that are better I've noticed. Even the great programs that cost money are cheap. The biggest thing is that you can refund within 24 hours on the android store.
This is a personal preference. I like good useful programs where I wont delete it 5 mins later. Now I think about it, most of the apps I used on the iphone and iPad now are from Cydia.
what is a "cool app" for you? once you can define it as a boolean string you'll be all set.
until then its not unlike the iphone store...tens of thousands of apps. of that a huge number are redundant and or outdated. a good chunk are crap or useless. that leaves a bunch of needles in the haystack.
1) try a site like appbrain.com or apps.androidtapp.com (they may provide better search options)
2) do some google searches for "top EVO apps" or "Best Android apps" etc. that helped me quite a bit.
what is cool to one person is irrelevant crap to another.
DraginMagik said:
what is a "cool app" for you? once you can define it as a boolean string you'll be all set.
what is cool to one person is irrelevant crap to another.
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Click to collapse
exactly. sounds like you just wanna **** around on your phone to me. I AM T-PAIN!!!!!!!!!
Well you can always check out the "cool app" thread in this same section that might help a little btw
brown14you said:
What are you looking for in the Market? What do you want an App to do for you? You cannot just get into to the Market to 'look for cool apps'. It will be very helpful if you narrow your search, that way you can get the help you want. The Android Market cannot be blamed for corporations that put out sub-par or buggy apps. Take your issues up with their developers.
If you depend solely on users comments to make your decision about an app, you might end up not trying any. Since Android phones have varied models and specifications there are bound to be different experiences from different users. Even for users with the same device, the App may appear a bit buggy because of the modifications they have made to their phones.
There are different communities of users that review Apps and offer feedback that may be useful. AppBrain is a good one to try. Good luck.
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Click to collapse
I never blamed Android for the lack of apps situation. Where did I do that? I said I was disappointed with the Marketplace. At no time did I say, "I'm upset with Android and Google for not having any cool apps."
What do I want in apps? I dunno. I've never owned an iPhone so I'm not sure exactly what's out there....except I've heard that EVERYTHING is out there.
A couple of things missing off the top of my head:
Kevin's Smith app
Redbox
Blockbuster
The rest, I guess, is just cool stuff...whatever that may be. How about some nice apps for alcoholic beverages? The ones I've found (from the user reviews) don't seem that great. Again, I haven't tried them but if most people say an app isn't very good, I tend to believe it.
How about an app for cooking recipes? How about a great music player (which I haven't found yet, but MixZing seems to be pretty decent)? How about an app that compares prices?
Shazam (a music program) is supposed to be on Android. It's not. It looks like they pulled it, even though their web site advertises it.
The thing is, I don't know what app I need until I see it. I've never experienced it, so I don't know what I'm missing. *shrug* I just know I must be missing SOMEthing, based on everything I've ever heard or read about Apple's store.
On the subject of voice to text...what's a good app for that? Why can I not get something up to par with what iPhone has? Or can I?
There is a redbox app. Google shopper would be good for prices i think. Blockbuster is about to go out of business anyway lol. Shazam is definitely there because i just searched and it showed up. vlingo voice is a good voice to text even though android has that pretty much built in already. The music player that comes with the evo is good enough for me so idk about the others. Whats the kevin smith app?
I'd like to know where the free Redbox app came from. It wasn't there on my device a while ago. I just downloaded it.
Shazam is now showing up for me and I've done multiple searches over the past day for this thing. It's downloading as well.
The Kevin Smith app is found here: http://www.denvog.com/iphone/KevinSmith/index.html
nbakid2000 said:
I'd like to know where the free Redbox app came from. It wasn't there on my device a while ago. I just downloaded it.
Shazam is now showing up for me and I've done multiple searches over the past day for this thing. It's downloading as well.
The Kevin Smith app is found here: http://www.denvog.com/iphone/KevinSmith/index.html
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shazam has been there since last year or longer because i bought the hero when it came out last october and had shazam. just give it time. the "cool" apps will show up
Not sure what you mean by voice to text app
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are asking. Voice to text is part of the android 2.1 operating system. When you hit the microphone it will put text into whatever you are using such as an e-mail or a text message. There is no need for an app for it as it is built into the operating system
Voice to text? Already supported out of the box.
However, you can get Vlingo from the marketplace. It costs quite a bit, but if you're a dedicated voice user, it can be good for you.
You have to look around. Google is your friend.
What do you want? Cool games?
Hungry Shark, Raging Thunder II, Exzeus Arcade, Slimeball Speedway, Tiki Towers, Caligo Chaser, and Gameboid are just some I can think of off the top of my head. Gameboid will multiply those games because of ROMS.
A PSx emulator is in the works by the same developer.
Google's apps themselves impressed a lot of people that I showed my phone to.
Google Sky Map, Google Goggles, Google Earth, Google Maps, etc.
Other free apps that are top knotch:
Pandora, Facebook, Twitter, Shazam, Barcode Scanner, LED Light, Handcent SMS, TV.com (awesome cbs shows right there!).
Ringdroid (make ringtones ON YOUR PHONE), QIK video chat, Fring (for skype).
There are also apps where you can download backgrounds and ringtones from a wide variety.
So... just look around. Google helps.
And lastly, a lot of developers are looking into developing for Android. With all the new Android phones and Android users, things are working out well for its marketplace. For example, with the release of the HTC Evo... former palm pre, blackberry, and winmo users came. Hardly any people moved from android to android in that case.
Pretty much all of those apps you listed I have installed on my Evo via the Market.
patelkedar91 started a great list but here's a list of my favorite apps
acv - comic viewing app if you have downloaded comics(reads cbr files!)
doubletwist - media app that plays music and video, also has a matching desktop client for syncing your android phone, much like itunes to the iphone
epicurious - recipe app
fxcamera - camera app that has some awesome built in effects
layar - augmented reality app that shows points of interest through the camera
urbanspoon - can't decide on where to eat? just set preferences and shake to get a restaurant
Photoshop.com Mobile - basic photo editing app
transdroid - app to control torrent clients from your phone, including adding torrents
zombie, run! - one of the funnest apps on my phone, uses gps location to simulate a zombie apocalypse. shows zombies as red dots and you have to avoid them and make it to a location you set, makes biking to school a lot more interesting
there's a lot more, keep looking and lurk these forums like crazy. good "cool" apps are recommended here a lot
I don't even understand the point of this post. You didn't have an iPhone, but just 'hear' that it had it lots of cool apps. Then come to Android just looking for random 'cool' apps but can't articulate what you are looking for. Sure, the iPhone had 65 different fart apps, so it has an advantage there.
I had the iPhone 3G, then 3GS, then went to the Droid and now the EVO. I don't have a ton of apps, but I use quite a few. When I moved to the Droid in November, there were only two apps that I had with the iPhone that weren't available on the Android Market; SlingPlayer and Alarm.com. Both of those have since been released on the Market too.
Shazam has been available the whole time except for some reason that it disappeared a week or so ago. Music player? Well, Android has one built in and the EVO has HTC's version. On the Market, there is Mixzing and DoubleTwist. Blockbuster? Who friggin cares. Blockbuster will be out of business before long and Netflix is better anyway. The Netflix app is coming soon to Android.
I will admit that the games were a bit better on the iPhone, but outside of that I don't miss anything about the iPhone or the App Store.
Related
With the influx of US-TM HD2 owners coming up soon, one of the things I think they might ask for is a Yelp application. I'm guessing this because I wish I had one! It seems every other mobile OS besides Symbian has a native app, but we're stuck with using the mobile site! We don't want to be associated with those Nokia people do we?
If you aren't familiar with Yelp, it's a review site for pretty much any business you can think of - very popular for restaurants, bars, etc. I know people in the US use it a lot. Yelp has a UK/Canada presence as well, not sure how popular it is.
As mentioned, we can currently go to m.yelp.com and search, but it's not ideal since you have to type in your location, type in what you're looking for, and almost makes you not want to use it.
If you get the Yelp app for iPhone, webOS, Android, BB, etc., it'll use your phone's 'network triangulation' or GPS to automatically show you what's around you. Of course, once you have that, you can filter by category (restaurant, shopping, etc.), and sort by rating (and other various features.)
If you click on an item of interest, you can read the reviews, get details on the store (location, hours, etc.), and if the app is developed enough - write reviews, post pictures, and be a contributing member of the site.
Yelp has an API that seems pretty easy and robust, where requests are passed along like so
Code:
Sample Request:
[url]http://api.yelp.com/business_review_search?term=yelp&lat=37.788022&long=-122.399797&radius=10&limit=5&ywsid=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX[/url]
And you get a crapload of data back, all nicely formatted and easy to handle.
More info here: http://www.yelp.com/developers
TBH, I would try and code it myself, but I'd only be able to create a backend, maybe (never coded for WM before.) The GUI is the most important part since a lot of the heavy lifting is done with the API (otherwise, we'd have to scrape and... ugh.)
I'm sure I'm not the only one that would be interested in such an app, and I'm willing to pay for it. I'll start a bounty of $20 for anyone interested in developing it! All I ask for release is a touch-friendly Yelp reader that transmits current location. Further yelp-contributing features can be developed later @devs discretion.
Maybe Aloqa could help?
Hi Mazzarin,
I am using Aloqa, by default it shows Cafes, Restaurants, "what's hot", Sights, Bars and Cubs, Movies, Wikipedia, Fashion and last.fm.
You can add other channels or create your own.
All the best,
Peter
Aloqa and Yelp
Aloqa has a Yelp channel as well... but...
I would LOVE to have Yelp... +1
I will also put in $10 bounty for this.
p_fr1968: Thanks for the heads up. I'm downloading it now veeerrry slowly. I looked up the app on Marketplace and it seems to have people that either love it or absolutely hate it so lets see!
taimoorhusain: I think I convinced a dev to do it, hopefully we'll see a release soon!
Only had a very quick look at this, shouldn't be too muh hassle writing an app for this, I'd have to dev it for windows then port it WM (as I'm new to the 3.5 cf so don't know what it can and more importantly can't do)
Tried aloqa... it works okay. Seems buggy, doesn't have kinetic scrolling, and only does GPS OR GSM location, not both. I'll write the devs with my thoughts and maybe they'll fix it up! But it DOES have Yelp!
djingonthenet - That would be cool if you could do it, but like I mentioned in the above post, a dev who already has a running app has stated he'll do it. More competition or something I guess?!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619329
^Next2Me is the app.
mazzarin said:
Tried aloqa... it works okay. Seems buggy, doesn't have kinetic scrolling, and only does GPS OR GSM location, not both. I'll write the devs with my thoughts and maybe they'll fix it up! But it DOES have Yelp!
djingonthenet - That would be cool if you could do it, but like I mentioned in the above post, a dev who already has a running app has stated he'll do it. More competition or something I guess?!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619329
^Next2Me is the app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I'll have a look anyway, maybe knock up a basic version then see how it goes from there. is the next2me app just for USA locs or does it work in the UK as well?
At the moment, next2me uses google local so... pretty much everywhere.
Re: Aloqa, got a response back really quick:
Aloqa Feedback said:
We are working on a full featured version of Aloqa for WinMo that should have all the features you mention and more, including those available today exclusively on Aloqa for Android. We hope to launch it in 6 - 8 weeks, so please stay tuned!
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mazzarin said:
With the influx of US-TM HD2 owners coming up soon, one of the things I think they might ask for is a Yelp application. I'm guessing this because I wish I had one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever find a Yelp one? I know you mentioned the developer of Next2Me incorporating it into that (nice) app; but it doesn't seem to have happened.
I find Aloqa's interface a bit scruffy. I noticed there's an app for Qype in the uk app store (Qype's like Yelp but better for Uk/Europe; bit sketchy for U.S.) but I still can't find anything for Yelp in the U.S. or otherwise
Does the Yelp iphone app let you leave your own reviews (like Qype does)? I had a quick look at the Yelp API but it looks like it's 'read-only'. I think that's half the fun being able to tell people when your restaurant food arrived cold!
James.
Never found one unfortunately. Not sure about the capabilities of the iPhone app, but I'd be happy to get read-only access still!
Yeah me too. Thanks for letting me know. Fingers crossed the big organisations start writing their apps for at least WP7.
I'll email the author of the winmo Qype app (Magic Guidebook) and see if he's willing to add in Yelp.
Awesome, let me know how it goes.
Hi everyone, i know there are tonssssss of nice people here on xda forums, and i was just hoping for some suggestions because i have to choose a project to work on.. any java game / application which is not too tough is fine. It doesnt have to be an original application, so i was thinkin maybe some simple apps which u guys love? I'm still not that good at it as i have just started learning bout using netbeans to develops the java apps.. i will have bout a month or two to work on it. please give me some suggestions? thank you everyone Much appreciated.
cloning/image app/program for windows mobile
i do not know how hard it would be but just a thought, but it should be a true image .... something like acronis or seagate etc but for windows mobile
how about using the blu tooth technology to turn the phone into a ps3 key board similar to the g remote for ur windows desktop.
or app that is like winterboard where it manages ur cabs alot more organized so u can switch them off and on isntead of deleting and replacing clocks lock screens etc etc
a craigslist app is a very popular
ebay app
sound boards or voice changers
a cocktail drink guide
synthasizer
as for games
here
are a list of games that would be cool
teenage mutant ninja turtles arcade version
left for dead the 8 bit version(google it)
plants v.s. zombies
iphone version of resident evil 4
maybe gta china town wars or even gta 1
mortal kombat
fallout 1 or 2
how about;
an app which uses the oem headphones and mike and turns them into a noise-canceling headset
a music editing app like audacity
and (my favourite) a light saber app
game
Well 1st congradulations on becoming a developer. I too in my spare time develop but I develop games. If this is your 1st time developing a complete project I would suggest a simple game. A game like pong,space invaders, or pacman. I dont know your level but those can be made relatively easy and give you time to add something to make an original twist. Since I program in C language I dont know if any of the commands are similar in java maybe I could help. Goodluck on your project and keep us posted.
This is proly a tough one, but one I would (and many others) love to see on our HD2 phones.
Netflix watch instantly app from our queue.
Why they half assed the Netflix app in the first place is beyond me.
thanks for all the suggestions guys! knew some of you here on xda would be happy to gimme some ideas. First i thought nobody was gonna bother replying. lol. thanks again and I will keep you guys informed when i decide what to do and if I need any help. Thanks a lot everyone.
I just noticed your handle; football-fan. I am assuming you mean soccer?
Perhaps combine your love for the game with your project and develop something relating to the upcoming World Cup.
An app that has the game fixture, match time etc. It could also connect and update scores and match stats as they happen. It could keep track of the heats and results. Keep a tree/chart of who wins and loses, who makes it to the finals etc.
I have no doubt there are plenty of people out there who would love an app like that. Especially considering you could produce something that is ad free. I am assuming that any official app that comes from commercial organisations will be plastered with sponsorship logos and the like.
Franwella said:
I just noticed your handle; football-fan. I am assuming you mean soccer?
Perhaps combine your love for the game with your project and develop something relating to the upcoming World Cup.
An app that has the game fixture, match time etc. It could also connect and update scores and match stats as they happen. It could keep track of the heats and results. Keep a tree/chart of who wins and loses, who makes it to the finals etc.
I have no doubt there are plenty of people out there who would love an app like that. Especially considering you could produce something that is ad free. I am assuming that any official app that comes from commercial organisations will be plastered with sponsorship logos and the like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the idea!
but my lecturer was saying it would be better if the apps that we make would require move.. interaction / input from the user?
football_fan said:
thanks for the idea!
but my lecturer was saying it would be better if the apps that we make would require move.. interaction / input from the user?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a playlist editor for wmp? Something that would allow you to browse folders and select tracks and build a playlist from scratch.
It may seem a pretty plain application, but it would mean coding a decent GUI (that would obvously run purely on user interaction), but it would still have some more "gutsy" stuff, like system access, reading folder and files etc., and you'd also have to make sure you can build a playlist file. (I have no idea what format a playlist is in - it could be a simple list, but is more likely to be xml)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=683297
Why the apps having the worst users' reviews are shown as "Recommended Apps" ???
Hello,
How are the "Recommended Apps" selected by the Marketplace?
I am tired to see all the apps having actually the worst users' reviews be selected by Micorosoft and promoted on the Marketplace.
For instance, this week I see as recommended the games "Castlevana Puzzles" (rated only 1 star over 5) and "Deer Hunter" (rated only 1.5 star over 5) !!! Most reviews of these games state that they are not very good.
So therefore, by WHOM are they recommended ? I wonder. Not by the users for sure.
In my opinion the most important opinion is the customers' one.
MS, please stop 'recommending' apps that the users said they don't like.
How to find on the Marketplace only the apps that the USERS RECOMMEND (not MS), that is to say the ones with 3, 4 or 5 stars?
Thank you
I believe it is based on the number of downloads, which is a completely different metric from the ratings.
Jim Coleman said:
I believe it is based on the number of downloads, which is a completely different metric from the ratings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think so. My app appeared on the featured list once for a while and it only has <100 downloads to this date!
It looks to be fairly random to me.
Blade0rz said:
I don't think so. My app appeared on the featured list once for a while and it only has <100 downloads to this date!
It looks to be fairly random to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That'd be nice. Maybe if devs know that even crappy apps will be randomly "featured" they'll have a little pride and reduce apps that aren't so shoddy.
It's also nice because apps that might otherwise not be seen will get some time in the spotlight. Could be a big deal for someone - I know it would be for me.
Back in the WMP9 days I made a few skins that people liked for their simplicity (they were designed to be "always on top"). After MS featured them on a skins site and they got a high rating they amounted to about half of my site traffic.
A little free attention from MS can make a huge difference for a smalltime dev.
Bleak Morn said:
That'd be nice. Maybe if devs know that even crappy apps will be randomly "featured" they'll have a little pride and reduce apps that aren't so shoddy.
It's also nice because apps that might otherwise not be seen will get some time in the spotlight. Could be a big deal for someone - I know it would be for me.
Back in the WMP9 days I made a few skins that people liked for their simplicity (they were designed to be "always on top"). After MS featured them on a skins site and they got a high rating they amounted to about half of my site traffic.
A little free attention from MS can make a huge difference for a smalltime dev.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally understand your point of view.
Nonetheless, I would probably like/prefere to have an "Apps recommended by users". I mean the apps with the best feedback from the ones that really tested the apps. Indeed, number of download means nothing.
Strange that the Marketplace does not include this. It seems natural to me.
It would be good because:
- it will encourage developers to make good apps and get a high ranking,
- it will allow users to discover and install apps that have a positive feedback. It does not mean that a lot of people aready installed it. Maybe only one or two people only installed the app, found it very good. Thanks to its high ranking, the app will be discovered by other people.
Also, I do not think that apps such as Deer Hunter or Castlevania need to be promoted like they currently are on the Marketplace: firstly, they are mediocre Xlive games. Secondly, better to promote independant small developers that Xlive games developed by Microsoft. Microsoft do not really need to promote their own game, especially when they are not so good.
arturobandini said:
I totally understand your point of view.
Nonetheless, I would probably like/prefere to have an "Apps recommended by users". I mean the apps with the best feedback from the ones that really tested the apps. Indeed, number of download means nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, ratings can be gamed as well. One vote for 5-stars could result in a 5-star rating for a 1-star app.
A while back I had an issue with the Zune software - wanted to get a list of all of my songs based on whether or not they were ZunePass (DRM) songs, or MP3's I'd bought with my 10 monthly song credits. The idea was to use the credits on the songs I've listened to most but hadn't yet unlocked.
I was having getting the software to do what I want, so I asked how to do it in the Zune forums. When that didn't get the answer I wanted, I communicated with some Zune MVP's via Twitter. They connected me with one of the Zune application development leads at MS (also on Twitter) and I directed him to the article in the Zune forums where he helped me troubleshoot and fix the issue.
One of the things I like about MS is that when I poke around, they usually put me in touch with someone who can directly solve my problem (like the app dev lead).
In this case, he provided me with a simple work-around for the problem I was having, but if you need a new app feature it's nice to be able to tell the guy in charge directly.
Oh, and if you end up taking this approach I'd love it if you'd post the link to your Zune forums thread here so I can follow along since it's an issue I might encounter soon.
Just wondering from a utility ("widgets", battery meters, other things specific to Windows RT) standpoint, what are y'all installing?
Not a utility but I am loving the Netflix app they done a top job with it
Its hard to find anything decent. Its seriously amazing how absoulutely awful some of the selection is. One of the highes rated apps in Music is....
Krishna Aarti
Overview: "This is a beautiful app which gives the feeling of being close to Lord Krishna, a great music in teh background set the ambience for personally the Shringer for the Lord."
Seriously Microsoft SERIOUSLY!!!!!
With all their billions they couldn't have thrown a few dollars toward a few small programmers. They couldn't have gotten some of their own programmers off their butts and sent them over to look at apps like MX Player Pro or Poweramp for android and have their programmers come up with something comparable. They couldn't search for the top apps in each category on android and iOS and hire some small developers to come up with good alternatives.
Micro$$ couldn't get just a couple good apps in each category?
I swear its as if the only thing that mattered to them was the number of apps at launch - if its 10,000 fart apps at launch that's just fine.
OK rant over.
Its really slim pickings overall. I've got Netflix installed. Kindle. Evernote. Pin-a-Note. Multimedia 8. Sticky Notes 8. Gtasks HD and toolbox for Windows 8 installed that's it - mostly becaused I've felt obligated to install something.
Hope this all picks up. I've been checking the app market ever day sometimes a couple of times per day. It seems like they add maybe 3 or 4 apps a day overall - pretty bad so far.
Edit:
OK had to do this. My appologies in advance.
Search 'Fart" in Store : Results: Fart 101 - Girl Farts - Fart Soundboard Pro - Fart Soundboard - Funn Farts - Biological Piano -Burp soundboard pro
Search "MKV" in store: Results: 0
Search "Flac" in store: Results: 0
At least Microsoft knows our priorities....
All my storage pro is my favorite -paid version. Manages all your cloud storage acts and local in one place and can move stuff between them. Found it when looking for dropbox access.
I have a different take on the matter -I think app selection is going fine and more will come as win 8 gets going more. Here is a very interesting article on the matter:
http://www.winappupdate.com/
guitar1969 said:
All my storage pro is my favorite -paid version. Manages all your cloud storage acts and local in one place and can move stuff between them. Found it when looking for dropbox access.
I have a different take on the matter -I think app selection is going fine and more will come as win 8 gets going more. Here is a very interesting article on the matter:
http://www.winappupdate.com/
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Click to collapse
Good article. Have you noticed that there are no desktop style apps? I'm wondering if the reason there is an app shortage is Microsoft.
The article points out how hard it can be to make productivity apps in Metro. But why haven't any existing desktop apps been re-compiled for RT? Where are the VLC media players for desktop?
Perhaps the lack of software is Microsofts own fault. I wonder if they even allow third party desktop apps? If one submits a desktop version of your video or music player for RT does it get denied?
If so, then Microsoft has just committed suicide. If they provide a desktop environment for RT but prevent all the existing desktop software from using it, then what is the point? It exists just for office? Microsoft themselves couldn't come up with a Metro version of office. So why would they limit developers to Metro only?
Suppose, for example, Intuit decides to re-compile their entire Quicken Suite of apps for RT. Do they then get denied because it doesn't have a metro interface?
So I ask again - why are there no desktop apps for RT?
Digital Man said:
Good article. Have you noticed that there are no desktop style apps? I'm wondering if the reason there is an app shortage is Microsoft.
The article points out how hard it can be to make productivity apps in Metro. But why haven't any existing desktop apps been re-compiled for RT? Where are the VLC media players for desktop?
Perhaps the lack of software is Microsofts own fault. I wonder if they even allow third party desktop apps? If one submits a desktop version of your video or music player for RT does it get denied?
If so, then Microsoft has just committed suicide. If they provide a desktop environment for RT but prevent all the existing desktop software from using it, then what is the point? It exists just for office? Microsoft themselves couldn't come up with a Metro version of office. So why would they limit developers to Metro only?
Suppose, for example, Intuit decides to re-compile their entire Quicken Suite of apps for RT. Do they then get denied because it doesn't have a metro interface?
So I ask again - why are there no desktop apps for RT?
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Click to collapse
i don't think you're allowed to deploy a desktop style app for ARM, it has to be a "metro" style app, so some new UI is necessary, no quick recompile and post to the store.
apps will come, it's just going to take a little time.
some of my favs are:
jetpack joyride
netflix
evernote
fliptoast
metrotwit
inrix
newegg
trackseries
smartglass
kindle
angry birds space
wordament
A few that haven't been mentioned:
OneNote, Woot Attack, Zentomi Reader, the metro Remote Desktop app, Blu Graphing Calculator (if you're a student especially, but it's my favorite calculator for any purpose at the moment, not just graphing), Trackage, 8Zip (which will be even better when they get RAR support), LastPass, Simply Authenticator, Youtube+, ComicsJolt, Fhotoroom.
Freda is the best epub reader so far, but isn't great yet.
IM+ is a necessity for me as well, but like on every other platform I've used IM+ on, it's not a great app.
I really do need an MKV app myself, but I'm hoping that come soon enough. There's one for Windows 8, just not on ARM yet.
---------- Post added at 12:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:53 PM ----------
Digital Man said:
It seems like they add maybe 3 or 4 apps a day overall - pretty bad so far.
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I agree that the app situation isn't exactly amazing, but they have been adding 50-100 every weekday so far.
jhoff80 said:
I agree that the app situation isn't exactly amazing, but they have been adding 50-100 every weekday so far.
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Where are you getting these numbers - I've been checking each category, with newest apps listed first and at most I usually see one or two new apps in each category - is there someone (website) keeping track of the additions?
Digital Man said:
Where are you getting these numbers - I've been checking each category, with newest apps listed first and at most I usually see one or two new apps in each category - is there someone (website) keeping track of the additions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search for * and you'll see everything, often even before it shows up under the "New Releases" section. Don't get me wrong though, most of them are still garbage.
Sooo, I just tried Jetpack Joyride. I wonder how this performs on Android tabs, but on the Surface RT it's playable, but far from fluent, especially when you get faster. It's quite a nice game, but Microsoft really needs to optimize here, as I think the hardware in the Surface RT is certainly good enough to get good performace, WinRT just has its quirks (at least up to now).
Well, I got 12 days left to try out, hope things change till then.
jhoff80 said:
Search for * and you'll see everything, often even before it shows up under the "New Releases" section. Don't get me wrong though, most of them are still garbage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great tip thanks - thats exactly what I was looking for - now I can keep a running total of change per day - think I'll make myself a chart with the number at say 7:00 PM every day and see how fast the market is growing.
Digital Man said:
Where are you getting these numbers - I've been checking each category, with newest apps listed first and at most I usually see one or two new apps in each category - is there someone (website) keeping track of the additions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WINAPPUPDATE.COM is the best place to learn about app counts and new apps. check out his twitter account.
News Bento and Tweetro are my two most used apps. Lazyworm is also bringing Metrotube to RT...and if Tweetro is any indication...its going to be beautiful. Tumbukum (Tumblr) and Cracked.com are really nice as well.
-Zeppelin- said:
Sooo, I just tried Jetpack Joyride. I wonder how this performs on Android tabs, but on the Surface RT it's playable, but far from fluent, especially when you get faster. It's quite a nice game, but Microsoft really needs to optimize here, as I think the hardware in the Surface RT is certainly good enough to get good performace, WinRT just has its quirks (at least up to now).
Well, I got 12 days left to try out, hope things change till then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the apps out right now have obviously been rushed out for early adopters and are far from optimized, that isn't going to change in 12 days. In a few months things will look better and I think in a year the store will have most of the useful apps that are popular on iTunes and the Android Market.
We really need a pdf writer / printer of some sort to make the surface a true business device. I searched "pdf" in the store but no hits. I also think the store is not really optimized for searching by keywords unless the search term is in the name of the app or somewhat obvious.
guitar1969 said:
We really need a pdf writer / printer of some sort to make the surface a true business device. I searched "pdf" in the store but no hits. I also think the store is not really optimized for searching by keywords unless the search term is in the name of the app or somewhat obvious.
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Click to collapse
Right now the only thing you can do is convert pdf's in Office and work with it that way, hopefully a better solution will become available soon.
Ok you put time and effort into your games or apps but still cant seem to get downloads. You might even see a game or app similar to yours but for some reason they are charting but your not. There are over 100,000 developers and over a million apps on googleplay. What are they doing that your not?
1) Website- I see a lot of developers that have a single blog page for all their apps. Look at the format of google play and match your website as close as you can to what google play has. Why? Customers are use to a certain format and like things that look familiar . Think like a customer when building a website and put the same effort as you were in programming your apps.
2)Social Networking-Make a twitter and facebook account. Any app release you have or updates post them.You can even interact with customers and get feedback directly from them. Use this as a tool to learn from real people and adjust your game or app based on feedback.
3)Make Niche Apps- There is no way indie developers can match the power of big companies. Rather than try to take on gameloft or EA focus on niche apps. Small apps like car locators or how to cook books. Small apps like these have been know to get more downloads vs making a game going against a bigger company. Small focused apps or simple games with great graphics can draw people to your app.
4)Post in Forums- Post your game or app in several forums. Be careful as many forums are not really indie friendly. Most forums have a section where you can post games or apps away from where regular forum users cant see. Also you might run into jealous developers who have nothing better to do then degrade your game. Post in several forums to bring in users but remember this is only a small part of your marketing efforts. This forums is very developer friendly though.
5)Rate Me Button- In your apps your should have a rate me button and a googleplay button that points to only your apps in google play. You can also have a button to your website to give the customer a more personal touch.
6) Paid vs. Free- I would suggest you make 4 to 5 free apps before making a paid app. Most customers do not want to pay and only enjoy free apps. You can make a paid version but be warned if you make a paid version users might
1) uninstall the free version
2)buy the paid version
3)refund the paid version but keep the apk on thier device
4) Now they have the paid version for free.
I will make another how to market your android apps part 2 soon. Till then good luck with your games and apps.
These are helpful tips seeing as me and a friend just released our first app a month ago, thanks!
yoshihat said:
These are helpful tips seeing as me and a friend just released our first app a month ago, thanks!
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Your welcome hope your friends apps does well