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App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

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Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#151

Post by nine_k »

xwdv wrote: post #121
cowtools wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Ran into the exact same problem with a very simple camera app I made. >[...] >(Just by posting this, now I fear I broke some kind of TOS, and can never publish an iOS app again?) This is how your loyalty to Apple's racket is rewarded. This is your prize for buying hundreds of dollars of their equipment and paying hundreds to license their development kit and get your software reviewed for their locked-down phones.

Poor software developers, how could they ever afford to overcome these massive barriers to entry. Every. Year. If only they had a decent source of steady income.

Snark aside, I suppose that most independent iOS developers don't receive enough in sales to offset the $99 entry fee.

I suppose that the kind of enthusiast Apple prefer to see on their platform is an enthusiastic consumer. Which very much aligns with their desire to keep their gadgets in the class of locked-down home appliances, like a TV or a gaming console.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#152

Post by stale2002 »

CharlesW wrote: post #132
detaro wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would that preclude the belief that Apple shouldn't do that?

Anyone can believe anything, but if one is buying products that don't do what they need or want, that seems like a poor use of funds. Example: I can buy an Xbox and curse Microsoft that I can't play The Last of Us on it, but that's really on me.

Well there is an alternative solution. That alternative solution being to force Apple, under threat of legal action and massive fines, to do what we want them to do (using the legal and legislative process).

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#153

Post by makeitdouble »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #106
koheripbal wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real reason is that they don't want more apps. There are too many, so any small independent dev has an uphill battle getting their app approved.

Which would be weird, because that means, like an oracle investor they need to predict which new apps will be a hit and are worth adding, and which will be flops and will add to the noise. If they ban all new indie apps, then the next hits are going to happen over in Android land, and Apple miss out on a lot of revenue. Maybe that is the idea, make a hit on Android first, then you are allowed in the Apple store!

To expand on parent’s point, it’s not that they want a set number of apps available. They’ll just raise the bar as they approach what they see as “too many apps” situation, and will put pressure on app devs to show better, more viables ideas to their eyes. Noise will still grow, but at a way lower pace.

To your point, there’s two mechanisms already at play: indie devs need to spend significant effort to be published, so they need to at least believe in their ideas (weeds out an enormous number of new apps already), and they need to keep maintaining their apps, as they’ll get garbage collected if the app stays unupdated.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#154

Post by trebbble »

politician wrote: post #135
Bud wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screw the impact on developers. As a user, I'm more concerned about the impact on users. The EU is dead wrong. EU commissioners have absolutely zero clue about what makes for good "customer experience". There's one party that has proven, for 15 years now, to have the most clue about that. It's Apple.

That's a fine perspective to have, but many people feel that a government of elected representatives is a better place for determining and adjusting impacts on people.

I find myself in the utterly bizarre position (to me, anyway) of defending a megacorp against government interference because government has failed to reign in the bad behavior of the entire rest of the software market. Granted the EU's headed the right direction, but they've still not gone far enough, and the US is way behind. I hope EU citizens get what they want, but am also hoping we don't see those effects bleed over into the US market—yet, with the legal protections we have in place right now.

My preference would be that spying and hoarding data about users simply be outlawed (plus a bunch of other things, some of which Apple does, unfortunately, allow) and those laws be well-enforced—and also the walled gardens opened up, by law if necessary, but I'd much rather not see the latter without the former happening first, since the current state of things in-fact lets me choose to have some protection against that bad behavior, without significant time investment on my part. If that private regulatory service breaks down for any reason, I'll simply be worse off, as things stand.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#155

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

andrepd wrote: post #147
cowtools wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Ran into the exact same problem with a very simple camera app I made. >[...] >(Just by posting this, now I fear I broke some kind of TOS, and can never publish an iOS app again?) This is how your loyalty to Apple's racket is rewarded. This is your prize for buying hundreds of dollars of their equipment and paying hundreds to license their development kit and get your software reviewed for their locked-down phones.

But it's okay because [vague arguments about "protection" and "privacy"]

That's the entire reason I buy only Apple products! /s

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#157

Post by nine_k »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #106
koheripbal wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real reason is that they don't want more apps. There are too many, so any small independent dev has an uphill battle getting their app approved.

Which would be weird, because that means, like an oracle investor they need to predict which new apps will be a hit and are worth adding, and which will be flops and will add to the noise. If they ban all new indie apps, then the next hits are going to happen over in Android land, and Apple miss out on a lot of revenue. Maybe that is the idea, make a hit on Android first, then you are allowed in the Apple store!

Why, they can reject but make notes, keep statistics of what "too simple" features people try to develop. Then some of that could be rolled into their existing core apps.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#158

Post by makeitdouble »

Victerius wrote: post #79
koheripbal wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real reason is that they don't want more apps. There are too many, so any small independent dev has an uphill battle getting their app approved.

Now that would be a fascinating development. Apple blocking most new apps because there are already too many of them. I can imagine some scenarios. "Candidates for this job are required to have released an app on the iOS store" "Fortune 100 corporation is suing Apple because it won't accept its app" "Only 1 in 154 app applications is accepted by Apple" "College admission consultants are starting to recommend high sch…

> Fortune 100 corporation is suing Apple because it won't accept its app

Apple refusing Fortune 100 apps happens more often than people think IMO.

Big corps churn out apps that are mere browsing shells of an otherwise widely available online service, just to have an icon on the AppStore. And they’ll get shutdown for that, forced to add some dumb gimmick to the app to get approval.

Re: App Store doesn't accept “too simple” apps

#159

Post by stale2002 »

trebbble wrote: post #117
BitwiseFool wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this is a counter productive non-solution. The free market, in this case, isn't as free and full of competition as we would like. Smartphone OS's are basically a duopoly, and Android has serious challenges of its own. That being said, a choice has to be made because two different entities have mutually exclusive rights: Do you side with an individuals' right to install whatever they want on a device they…

There's competition of regulatory regimes —mandatory and strict (could be stricter, IMO) vs. optional and looser. Absent government outlawing a bunch of the bad behavior Apple tries to curb, I like being free to have that choice to opt into their regime. When corporate dragnet spying and other hostile bullshit is outlawed and the laws are effectively enforced, sure, I'd want Apple to tear down the walls on their gard…

> There's competition of regulatory regimes—mandatory and strict

Ok, well then there is similarly competition of regulator regimes in the literal sense.

> I like being free to have that choice to opt into their regime

Different governments, are competing with different set of laws. I like the fact that I can have these government laws.

And if Apple does not like these laws, then it can opt out of the EU market, when their laws come into effect.

They can opt into a different country, by not selling their product in a place that has laws that they don't like.

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