I have an idea that might help improve the App Store. It won’t address every concern, but I think it’d be a step in the right direction.
I propose that Apple take a two-tier approach to the store so that there’s a distinction between being listed in the App Store vs. just being available for sale (or free distribution) via the App Store’s infrastructure.
An app would need to be approved in the usual (current) manner in order to get indexed, or to have a chance at being featured, or put on TV, or put on demo units at Apple stores, or a chance of being on the top 10 lists, etc. However prior to approval (and after rejection from being listed) any submitted application that passes the static analysis tools and any automated testing processes (does the app work?, does it use any undocumented calls?, etc), would get a URL that links to the app in iTunes or the App Store app where it can be purchased directly. There could be a note along side of it that the app wasn’t approved or vetted by Apple, the buyer is at risk, it’s not stocked on the App Store’s virtual shelves, etc. - but it’d still be available for sale (albeit indirectly) and subject to the marketing of the developer themselves with no implication that Apple condones it (yet).
This would remove a significant amount of the risk of developing for the iPhone because unless you’re trying to hack the system or use undocumented or forbidden code, you’d still at least be able to offer it up for sale by yourself while taking advantage of the underlying distribution and payment system Apple has created. (And Apple still gets their 30% cut.) Plus, Apple (and the rest of us) would have a chance to see if the apps they’ve been rejecting really do include the gems we want to believe are there.
Tags: iphone ipod appstore apple itunes
This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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