Comments on: Assessing App Stores http://rk.md/2009/assessing-app-stores/ -- welcome to the life of a tech-savvy medical student -- Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:11:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Rishi http://rk.md/2009/assessing-app-stores/#comment-9735 Rishi Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:48:01 +0000 http://rk.md/?p=1713#comment-9735 But if we're going to talk about having options from a development end, an open source operating system like Android is in a league of its own. Sure, Apple's SDK has an incredibly robust API framework, but it's still a closed and heavily regulated (for better or worse) way of coding. As I said in the post, I really think it's purely the "head start" iPhone OS had on Android that explains the discrepancy, but you do make great points. Have you already been accepted to Baylor?! That's great! :-) Looking forward to meeting you too. Thanks for the comment. But if we’re going to talk about having options from a development end, an open source operating system like Android is in a league of its own. Sure, Apple’s SDK has an incredibly robust API framework, but it’s still a closed and heavily regulated (for better or worse) way of coding. As I said in the post, I really think it’s purely the “head start” iPhone OS had on Android that explains the discrepancy, but you do make great points.

Have you already been accepted to Baylor?! That’s great! :-) Looking forward to meeting you too. Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: FutureBaylor http://rk.md/2009/assessing-app-stores/#comment-9734 FutureBaylor Tue, 05 Jan 2010 06:39:36 +0000 http://rk.md/?p=1713#comment-9734 Well, the fact is that there *are* more apps for the iPhone than for the Android - I hardly think that there are on average 10 almost identical applications for a specified task, which would suggest only 10,000 unique functions covered in the iPhone. For almost every fancy, you can find an iPhone application - and if it doesn't exist now, it's sure to exist soon. The value of the phone, and the app store, increases with that increasing diversity of applications, for both developers and users - these are indirect network effects. The more iPhone owners, the more likely developers will create something because they have a larger base of customers. The more applications, the more iPhone customers there will be. Sure, you'll get crap a lot of times because of this - the Nintendo Wii is a perfect example that has dozens of redundant, terribly-designed games. But, it gives end-users a choice. I may not like, for whatever arbitrary reason, XYZ flashlight program, but I like WXY flashlight program. For developers, it generates an atmosphere of competition. A small developer may turn out to be extremely talented and create a better-coded version of an existing program. Can this be true of the Android? Sure, but not to the extent as it is true of the iPhone, so I think having 100,000 apps is indeed a selling point. My 2 cents. Nice website. Hope to meet you this summer! Well, the fact is that there *are* more apps for the iPhone than for the Android – I hardly think that there are on average 10 almost identical applications for a specified task, which would suggest only 10,000 unique functions covered in the iPhone. For almost every fancy, you can find an iPhone application – and if it doesn’t exist now, it’s sure to exist soon.

The value of the phone, and the app store, increases with that increasing diversity of applications, for both developers and users – these are indirect network effects. The more iPhone owners, the more likely developers will create something because they have a larger base of customers. The more applications, the more iPhone customers there will be.

Sure, you’ll get crap a lot of times because of this – the Nintendo Wii is a perfect example that has dozens of redundant, terribly-designed games. But, it gives end-users a choice. I may not like, for whatever arbitrary reason, XYZ flashlight program, but I like WXY flashlight program.

For developers, it generates an atmosphere of competition. A small developer may turn out to be extremely talented and create a better-coded version of an existing program.

Can this be true of the Android? Sure, but not to the extent as it is true of the iPhone, so I think having 100,000 apps is indeed a selling point.

My 2 cents. Nice website. Hope to meet you this summer!

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