"More than 100,000 applications have now been published in the Windows Phone Marketplace and new content is currently being added at the rate of 313 applications per day. At the time of writing, 100,145 applications have been published. Of these, 26,493 were added in the last three months and 9,391 were added in the last month. These applications come from just over 23,825 different publishers." Is there anybody out there who still places any value on these numbers, whether they be for Android, iOS, or WP7? Considering virtually all Android, iOS, and WP7 applications are useless, ugly, buggy crap (with only a few being somewhat tolerable - never actually good, because good software doesn't exist), I honestly don't really care. But hey, another check mark on the list of PR talking points.
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Member since:2005-06-29
I just wish there were some consistency. WP7 is an amazing phone platform, and the few apps that actually follow the Metro design rules really shine on the OS. The thousands that are either bad ports of iOS/Android apps, or otherwise seem cobbled together from a traditional desktop point of view, do nothing but detract from the usability built into the OS.
I'd say one of the best examples of a great WP7 app is Microsoft's own Office. I absolutely abhor MS Office on the desktop, but using the WP7 version is pure bliss. It's as if Microsoft decided they wanted all their workflow experts to concentrate on WP7, and chose that app as their flagship design example.
On the other side you have the thousands of games that are a UI nightmare. I understand that not every game can follow Metro UI concepts, but at least put some thought into what you're doing. The worst offender is a game that I actually do enjoy despite my frustration: Legend of Descent. It's a Rogue-like graphical dungeon exploration game, and the interface seems to be a case of "hey I have all these extra features for this version, let's just keep stacking the already obtuse menu with even more crap!" It's enough to drive me away from the game lately.
Member since:2005-11-14
I don't get the obsession with apps. What you need is functionality, and often the 'There's an app for that!' mentality just adds another way to consume more stuff. Which is, of course, an important reason why Apple is raking in money, and also why Microsoft is copying all the most annoying malfeatures of iOS. Some of the examples of 'great apps' I've seen just make me think: You need an app for that?!
Member since:2005-06-29
I agree, certain functionality should be built into the OS instead of being left to the whims of the app developers. Things that sync like calendars, notes, to-do lists, RSS readers, and so on should be built in. Even esoteric things like LED flashlights and password managers should be a feature of the OS. You can always install a third party app if you don't like what the OS brings to the table, but you shouldn't be forced to go app-hunting for basic functionality.
Sadly though, mobile devices are seen as a cash cow for the people who design the OSes, and we will likely have to deal with "one app per task" for a while yet. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see future versions of Android and maybe even iOS that only have the dialer and app store as core software, with everything else a downloadable (and likely paid) app.
Member since:2011-05-12
I have an app to access my bank account. In the 90s I had a PC app for it, which made a modem connection. Then a web interface came and I had to log in using some hardware device. Now I just enter a code in the app on the phone in my pocket (well, just after it left my pocket).
This is an app I don't think a device maker would or should install as default. Using the web interface is awkward.
Other stuff I use on my phone are Twitter and Facebook. Both free, just like the banking app and again not something I think should be included by default.
And there are more apps, but also a number of games.
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN.""Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Member since:
2011-05-12
The quality of WP apps is sadly behind iOS ones (don't have an Android phone), but then again it's early days and these apps will get updates and improve.
That the number of apps is increasing does show that there is a healthy developer interest.
Personally I don't care that much for the hardware specifications, much more important are the apps. They give a mobile device most of its effective use. I have both an iPhone 4 and a Lumia 800 and I miss a number of apps on the Lumia, making the iPhone much more useful.