The iTunes App Store- The Wild West of Software Distribution Part 1

Tech blogger supreme Wayne Schulz has an excellent post over on Gear Diary this morning entitled, "How Will Apple Manage A Mature App Store?" It is particularly striking in light of the fact that Wayne is looking to a mature App Store when the App Store turned just three weeks old yesterday.

Wayne asks the excellent question, "Is there any way that we need 24 different programs that all claim to help you calculate tips?"

The answer, of course, is a resounding "NO!" 
While the Tip Calculator is certainly the easiest place to point out that the App Store is currently the Wild West of software distribution it is by no means the only example of it.

On the multiple app front we can also look to the Magic8Ball phenomena. I posted about the 5 8Ball apps available the other day. I need to correct myself, though. While the information I posted was accurate at the time, there are now six different Magic8Ball apps from which to choose. (Seven if you count the application "Theurgic Octasphere"– which is just another was of saying- Magic8Ball!)

So I ask again, do we need one let alone seven such programs?

And the list goes on.

Does anyone but the most fanatical StarWars fan need iSaber AND PhoneSaber?

Do we need both iMilk and iBeer? Regardless of which liquid you choose the gag is over and done after about two seconds. (Yet how much you wanna bet we’ll see iWine before we are done with this stupidity??)

And while we are at it I should point out that Cocktail and iDrink have now been officially joined by iBartender.

All of which is clearly iRedundant.

And it isn’t just the "multiple apps in a single genre" that is Wild West-ing it these days. There is also no rhyme or  reasons behind the pricing of many apps either.

In the past week I have seen numerous apps suddenly change price without not warning.

I paid $9.99 for Cro-Mag Rally which is now $5.99. Cocktails was $9.99 but now costs $4.99 (I suspect to bring it in line with iDrink. Yes, the free market can be good.) I bought HurryMail just 36 hours ago for $.99 only to discover his morning that it is now free. As one developer told us, "pricing is a tricky thing… especially since there was no previous precedence… that said… I think there are a few other apps in our area that will have to adjust at some point." Indeed.

At the same time, apps within the same genre often seem to be priced without the slightest logic.

While they are often rather limited in their scope, you can get task management programs for free. The more powerful apps, ToDo and Things cost $10 but in order to sync with a desktop or web version ToDo requires a subscription to RememberTheMilk or Toodledo and Things, which will eventually sync with its desktop version, costs an additional $39. At the upper part of the scale there is Aria Touch for $29.99 which can sync to its new desktop version at the cost of an additional $29.99. And, at the top of the scale is is OmniFocus. While the iPhone app costs a (relatively reasonable) $19.99, in order to sync to your desktop the purchase of OmniFoicus for Mac at the cost of a whopping $79.99 is required.

Yes indeed, there is no rhyme or reason to any of this.

It is as if they turned to one of the Magic8Balls and asked- "What kind of app should I create?" Then, after receiving an answer, they asked, "How much should I charge for it?"

Then again, the App Store is just three weeks old.

In his post Wayne states, "…the App Store is going to cool down – and fast."

He may well be right but I would phrase it in a slightly different– I think we will rapidly see a consolidation of the apps available. Prices will stabilize, redundancies will be reduced and the cream of the crop float to the top.

As our WOiP team tries to sort through the numerous apps available in order to recommend the best of the best all I can say is… with all the crap available… the sheriff can’t arrive in this Wild West and create order soon enough.