Monday, August 10, 2009

App-arently to easy

One of the great things about the iPhone is the App Store. Thousands of apps available to download from free to a good few pounds.

Apps on the iPhone are generally a steal compared to other mobile platforms (with a few exceptions) but even so you find people in reviews saying "it's not worth the money (for a 59p app!).

The biggest draw though, is how easy it is to get them. Click the App store icon, do a search, or choose from the "top 25" or "new" lists etc, choose your app, click "Buy Now" and Bob's your Mother's brother.

It can be too easy though. At the last count I have downloaded 55 apps for my iPhone. This is a ludicrous amount. OK, there are a couple of functional duplicates in there; a couple fo RSS readers (ok 4), a couple of To Do type progams, etc. But 55. Come on. No-one uses that many. And nor so I.

I estimate that of these 55 (and remember these are in addition to the dozen or so that come with the device by default) I probably only use about half a dozen on anything like a regular basis.

The others don't get used at all, or very seldom. Impulse purchases that have fallen by the wayside, or ones bought for a specific purpose that only comes around every few months.

And, although cheaper than programs for many other mobile platforms, all those 59p's and £1.79p's do add up.

I recently shelled out 25 beer vouchers on Co-Pilot Live, a sat nav solution, the most expensive purchase by far (I think a fiver was my previous highest). Sounds a lot, but in fact it's about 4 time cheaper than a stand alone sat nav unit, and in my opinion, just as good. And so easy to buy.

Ladies and Gentlemen. I give you the App Store. A raging success!

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