“I am excited, I developed software in the Apple Store has been ranked fourth in the financial group. Now, it will start charging, my hard work has finally paid off!” San Francisco time on June 12, application software, “BA Financial Calculator Pro “developer Eric said happily.
From free download to user fees, Eric began his gold in the iPhone on the road.
In fact, three years ago when the iPhone first and third-party developers for 3, 7 into the business model, and numerous “Eric” is the line that were partnering with Apple this glory and dream of the road: on the one hand, Apple let They make money; the other hand, they are also iPhone secret weapon of success, even until today, they are entrenched in the number of iPhone, Apple still windy enough to make Google Android platform, “barren desert.”
And this business model, the trend is still more spectacular transplanted iPad.
As the screen can support more iPad iPhone can not support complex applications, 7 Jobs, “Apple Software Developers Conference” to announce: iPad already have more than 8500 applications; just over a week, according to reporters in the iPad App Store access to the data, the figure has exceeded 10,000. At this point, from the iPad was born only 2 months.
Jobs never want means marking time such an alliance.
ISO 4 new mobile operating system, the arrival, they began to stimulate his alliance who have the nerve – WWDC week after, hundreds of developers in Silicon Valley Apple Store Palo Alto held a party, music player software developer Ray Lillywhite APM told reporters: “The developer is concerned, iOS 4 of the most important is to provide a multi-tasking ability, and this is the first time we can run the software in this environment.”
Support “multitasking” (Multitasking Capabilities), mean iOS 4 enables users to run third-party application software, handle both e-mail or phone, but this applied to large developers in large-scale epidemic, may not like the Job Sri Lanka as optimistic as expected, at least in the short term.
Developer cold on the “multi-tasking”
San Francisco time on June 10, Apple to Apple Store for every developer to send an e-mail, this: they have now started to accept and iOS 4-compatible applications.
Since the launch of Jobs in 2007, iPhone, except set off again and again highlight iPhone sales, Apple has also been committed to a “secret work”, that is, how to make Apple Store ─ ─ house more for the good functioning of ecological systems . Support “multitasking” is clearly enhance the user experience of a new means of Imagine, when the iPhone, iPad and iTouch users to enjoy the Apple store while third-party software to provide the time music, you can also check your email while, or when They opened the Safari browser to find breaking news, without ever being forced to close to half of the applications running.
To do this, WWDC occasion, when Apple released its new operating system iOS 4, a “multitasking” is one of the most compelling features. Jobs announced, iOS 4 for large developers with seven types of “multitasking”, which include: music (even if the user’s applications, surf the Internet can continue to play), IP voice (allowing users to use when another application for VoIP telephone conversation), navigation (even if the users in the use of other software applications can navigate categories continue to provide services), fast switching (allows software users to quickly turn left then right back when, but without re-loading) and so on.
At the same time, Apple has lost no time and launched several major applications, the display of this new feature: If the VoIP provider Skype, digital music service provider, “Pandora” and the provider of TomTom GPS navigation tools, etc.. However, Apple has sent this message 10 has revealed the secret – how to make the 21 iSO 4 and 24, launched on iPhone 4 Apple Store when there are enough “multi-tasking software” movement of the user to display or show off the multi- tasking of new features, Apple may be worried that end.
In many developers seem, than in the past iPad OS, iPhone OS 3.2 coming when they sent e-mail, Apple 10, this one seems to have so little “supervision” means: the first such initiative now falls completely in the hands of third-party developers, because only through the “Update”, Apple Store on the existing application software can use this new feature, but the majority of developers, this is not so positive.
AMP is one example. Just a few weeks on the line, AMP has been the “average Rating” 3.5 stars, user evaluation of more than 100 articles. “We do not update,” but, Ray said.
Since AMP is more like a music management software, it management, music is the user already stored in the phone through the iTune sync rather than as “Pandora” as from the Internet, AMP’s case may not be typical, but according to press interviewed a number of third-party developers, said many of Apple’s application store third-party program “may simply not be updated.”
“When a user is nervously playing games, why the need for multi-tasking?” Some developers said to reporters; another developer estimates that the application in the Apple store more than 20 million applications, it may be only a Only a small number of needs or a need to “multi-task”, not least a start to this need.
But also the feel trouble is, if you apply for this new feature, each application software developers need to submit to Apple’s new, updated software, and then wait for Apple’s approval. And this totally passive waiting for developers who are becoming more and more like a “long nightmare.”
Increasingly unhappy
As SecondLife has opened a “virtual reality community”, Apple Store within the also build a new eco-system, which requires users to third-party developers, and Apple are happy, before being a virtuous circle.
To date, the user is happy because they can enjoy more and more software; Apple is happy, it is the dream of building its empire; and third-party developers may also be happy, at least they still make money.
However, as more and more new applications to join as well as the role of the rigid apple, these third-party developers have become less happy.
In fact, just a month after WWDC, substantial development has begun aware of those new applications of the processing time is lengthened significantly higher than Yi Wang, and some for as long as several weeks for the results, this One possible reason is: they Road to be let in and iSO 4-compatible software, as Apple to ensure that 21 and 24 Buzhi Yu failed to demonstrate multi-tasking software.
However, this is only show the “tip of the iceberg.”
“Apple developers are not happy for the biggest reason is its approval process, but this problem has become increasingly apparent.” 14, Palo Alto, a gathering of third-party developers, a developer of anonymity told reporters : “subject to the approval of different application time is also very inconsistent, can vary a lot, from one day to a month. And today, Apple still did not give a more clear rules, Apple Store in which the application is allowed and what is allowed, which gives developers the extra time caused the cost. ”
“For example, if an application is rejected, perhaps only 10 minutes because of a reason can be repaired, but when the developers solve this problem, in order to get Apple’s approval, the software has to queue again, and so on ranks last. and usually have to wait a week or two. ”
“I do not think that iSO 4 and the arrival of the new iPhone, these problems can be resolved, or Apple’s developers are going to change this attitude,” he said, “lack of communication of approval Liu Cheng, Yijihuafei lot of time last Que the risk may not be adopted, still allows developers to the Apple Store vigilant. ”
Apple’s dereliction of duty
The other problem is that Apple’s lack of supervisory duties.
Currently, from the user’s “evaluation” and “average rating” is a new user to judge whether it is worthwhile to download software or purchase of the important indicators. “However, Apple developers are not allowed to leave a comment on the user message, do not allow developers to delete any comments users leave,” one developer said Satyajit Sahu, “even if the content is very absurd and stupid, and some only when they themselves do not seriously look at the software instructions to write to other users may be misleading comments. ”
Satyajit hoped that the new operating system can address this problem, but the other developers Luca Candela said: “From the developer point of view, strict regulation is meaningful, but I do not know whether Apple’s current interests, because Apple is busy so that their ‘buzz’ voice growing more and more, some critics apparently better than no comment. Of course, there may be other reasons, I do not expect short-term Apple will address this issue. ”
In addition, it’s knowledge, Apple Store has some developers to cheat to improve their software “Comments” and “average star” value of the case.
“These things I feel standing on the edge of hell.” Third-party developers told reporters that a credit card can create up to six different accounts, while others may be owned by more than 40 accounts of the way to enhance their own applications related values, “I want to just focus on writing great applications, but sadly, now the application store may not be such an environment.”
The long term, Apple Store Apple fails to control on spam, but also may lead to some bad cycle: on the one hand, the information distortion may mislead consumers to download or purchase the behavior to achieve, and such behavior will result the expected gap; the other hand, really good applications may therefore not benefit from the market recovery to a “bad money drives out good money” situation.
However, Ray also told reporters: “At present, Apple Store is still willing to earn the developers the best way to select iOS platform rather than Android platform, is still more business sense as an option, unless you are developing a new application program, and you think it may have been Apple’s review of the refusal. ”
“Android can not have a greater market share and more applications downloads that day, the situation may be difficult to change.” Ray said.
