Regarding Apps - Windows Phone 7 General

hi,
when microsoft annouced wp7 they said all apps in the marketplace must have a free trial. i have downloaded the new zune software and alot of apps do not have free trials.
have MS changed their policy?

I think it works like this. If you buy an app, you can return it in 24 hours and get your money back.

It definitely doesn't work like that.
It's up to developers if they want to offer a trial or not and they can implement trials in any way they want (time limits, function limits, ads). Forcing Devs wouldn't make any sense, it'd only put some off developing for the platform. Apps with trials are likely to sell better (just as iPhone apps with 'lite' versions tend to do better) so it shouldn't take too long for trials to become the norm.

satchef1 said:
It definitely doesn't work like that.
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I'm pretty sure i read it somewhere but maybe i mixed it up with something else. I'm reading too much about WP7 so everything starts to blur inside my head.

From what I have read the games need to have a free demo but not heard anything about other apps

Will old apps (for Windows Mobile 6.xx) still work under WP7?

ahkow said:
Will old apps (for Windows Mobile 6.xx) still work under WP7?
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no........

Oh....then this could be my big concern of WP7. I like WM 6.5 is there are plenty of apps around..

There is reported around 2000 apps ready to go for wp7 already, when iphone launched it had less then 500. I dont think apps will be an issue except for people going on about how its an issue and manifesting a self fulfilling prophesy. WP7 is a dream for dev's if they get on board.

I SOOOO have faith in Windows Phone 7 and think it will be a hit. The developers have definately shown more interest than 6.X OS and that is a good thing for us at the end of the day. We will be getting high quality apps and apps that were made for Android and IOS and not for old WinMo are now being made for WP7. Developers have faith too! We all win

lumpaywk said:
From what I have read the games need to have a free demo but not heard anything about other apps
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yh i heard that too but some games dont have demo's. i think MS backtracked.
I think the only app developers that would not want to add a demo are the ones that know the apps are crap and not worth the money.

There's around 500 apps in the marketplace as of now - the goal is afaik 2000 by launch in three days time.

emigrating said:
There's around 500 apps in the marketplace as of now - the goal is afaik 2000 by launch in three days time.
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i reckon they will have about 1000 by the uk launch on thursday and just under 2500 by the US launch.
cant see them testing and passing 1500 apps in 3 days (500 a day).

I just browsed through all the apps. My big question is "Where is the killer game app" like MonkeyBall was for iPhone? Microsoft should fully know (XBox) that you need to have a killer game at the launch of your gaming platform.
I even saw a few fart apps
So far it looks like too many rinky-dink apps instead of full-blown quality apps. Let's hope this changes soon.

WhyBe said:
I just browsed through all the apps. My big question is "Where is the killer game app" like MonkeyBall was for iPhone? Microsoft should fully know (XBox) that you need to have a killer game at the launch of your gaming platform.
I even saw a few fart apps
So far it looks like too many rinky-dink apps instead of full-blown quality apps. Let's hope this changes soon.
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more and more apps are available everyday, and I have a feeling they are holding off on some apps (i.e. Harvest) until the actual release day.

Have you seen the apps though? I mean really seen what's there as of now? Mostly, pretty much rubbish IMHO! From a business, productivity, tools point of view - useless. Really hoping it improves soon

Okay I can agree to an extent on that..I actually saw a farting dinosaur app....:facepalm: but on the whole some looked useful and a few of the games looked nice.

Related

[Q] is just me. or marketplace for wp7 is just full of junk?

Is there really a filter in there? The 90% of the apps in market are really a bunch of junk, yesterday I saw a 400 bucks app that someone did for fun... (not much fun if someone double click the buy button).
I mean is microsoft really fitering the apps for wp7 or they just want to increase the ammount of apps asap?
When are the good apps (like in windows mobile 6) coming?
When we will able to have some serious apps for buy? I speak about GPS navs, configuration tools for connections, tethering apps, voip and all the great stuff that we had on windows mobile etc...
No, you are not dreaming.
They are adding 5 new 'Calculate the Tips' software every week.
Really nice, isn't it?
No it's not just you ... there is alot of rubbish out there but to be fair ... I wouldn't say 90%. There are a few decent bit.
I was expecting this and imagine it will only get better as MS have given this OS some motherly love as opposed to WM
Infuriated-Germ said:
it will only get better as MS have given this OS some motherly love as opposed to WM
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Nice. So we can expect some good 'Fart' applications in the near future ?
no offense, but how many apps in the apple market or android market are actually any good??? Not very many.
1. HTC has a connections config app, if you didn't buy an htc phone then shame on you.
2. There is a voip app in the marketplace, someone else was talking about it.
3. You do know the OS is less than a month old right???
OK, I have used the Palm market place, the Itunes app store, the android market and the windows market and I have found that in all cases 90% of the apps are rubbish or variations on a theme (tip calculators for the numerically challenged etc.). I am waiting for only 1 app which has been promised - Kindle!!!
That's what makes Apple's app store so laughable. They occasionally announce that there's a bazillion or so apps in their store but 98% of them are rubbish. I suspect the WP7 market will most likely mirror that and it probably should. The alternative is to become Apple and turn things down because "there's too many of those" or "there's no good reason for this" or the worst, no reason at all. Where Apple's store really fails is their rating system. If Microsoft can identify and correct that weakness they'll definitely have an upper hand.
Its the same in every market. No matter where you go there will be junk.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
Johny1969 said:
Is there really a filter in there? The 90% of the apps in market are really a bunch of junk, yesterday I saw a 400 bucks app that someone did for fun... (not much fun if someone double click the buy button).
I mean is microsoft really fitering the apps for wp7 or they just want to increase the ammount of apps asap?
When are the good apps (like in windows mobile 6) coming?
When we will able to have some serious apps for buy? I speak about GPS navs, configuration tools for connections, tethering apps, voip and all the great stuff that we had on windows mobile etc...
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How do you expect to see configuration tweaking apps for the OS that has been locked down like a Ft. Knox?
BTW, happy anniversary.
arturobandini said:
No, you are not dreaming.
They are adding 5 new 'Calculate the Tips' software every week.
Really nice, isn't it?
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Exactly what is the deal with that? That is crazy. Cant even get a decent checkbook app
arturobandini said:
No, you are not dreaming.
They are adding 5 new 'Calculate the Tips' software every week.
Really nice, isn't it?
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Another example are currency converters. The funny thing is that I still have to find one that works correctly with German localization...
I just need a good IM app and the Kindle app and im set. Hopefully the IM app supports multiple logins on all platforms.
Isn't it the developers spewing out these applications that are to blame? If someone is so foolish as to pay a $99 fee only to produce a fart application at the end of it, why is it MS's fault? If they rejected the devs work then people would moan that MS is censoring people, big brother, etc. Just let market forces play their part, crap will sink and quality applications will rise by word of mouth and reviews by users.
efjay said:
Isn't it the developers spewing out these applications that are to blame? If someone is so foolish as to pay a $99 fee only to produce a fart application at the end of it, why is it MS's fault? If they rejected the devs work then people would moan that MS is censoring people, big brother, etc. Just let market forces play their part, crap will sink and quality applications will rise by word of mouth and reviews by users.
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They produce the fart app for you in order to get back that 99 dollars as soon as possible.
Do you think real developers do not want to create good apps? They just need to be interested in what the users want and what they can accomplished with the SDK provided by the manufacturer to satisfy the users' wants.
I suggest for you guys to create a thread, and possibly stick it, on what you want on your device, and get a feedback from developers how easy or difficult it is going to be to implement it,
Johny1969 said:
Is there really a filter in there? The 90% of the apps in market are really a bunch of junk, yesterday I saw a 400 bucks app that someone did for fun... (not much fun if someone double click the buy button).
I mean is microsoft really fitering the apps for wp7 or they just want to increase the ammount of apps asap?
When are the good apps (like in windows mobile 6) coming?
When we will able to have some serious apps for buy? I speak about GPS navs, configuration tools for connections, tethering apps, voip and all the great stuff that we had on windows mobile etc...
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Click to collapse
So are you saying the Android market isn't full of junk? When I perused the Android market, I say 90% filler, including sex app after sex app. And I saw personal quote apps a plenty.
MartyLK said:
So are you saying the Android market isn't full of junk? When I perused the Android market, I say 90% filler, including sex app after sex app. And I saw personal quote apps a plenty.
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Stop bringing Android, no need to stir it this way, the thread is about WP7 market.
it goes like this...eventually as the good developers port their apps over to WP7, and the so-so developers get better as they become accustomed to the platform,...the apps on the market will get better. And those apps that are "rubbish" will eventually fade away.
And yes, if you think the WP7 market place is rubbish, there's no doubt that all that rubbish is on every other phone's market place as well...just more of it
lol, I registered to answer this question.
Alot of people are correct in this thread.. Developers are just try to quickly recoup their $99 investment. There is some low lying fruit that can quickly make a buck in a marketplace that has relatively no competition. Flashlights / farts / quotes / bartenders / etc are very easy to make and are a good introduction to new wp7 developers.
What I really came here to say though, is that there is a BIG onus on US to review and rate these apps. We should rate and review every single app we use. Even if you give it a low rating it will push apps that noone even bought lower on the list. I've seen a few free apps with 0 reviews.. this should not happen.
I have an app in development that should be above mediocre, but it takes time and I only got my device for testing 2 days ago. So be patient, we're churning them out.
itchison said:
lol, I registered to answer this question.
Alot of people are correct in this thread.. Developers are just try to quickly recoup their $99 investment. There is some low lying fruit that can quickly make a buck in a marketplace that has relatively no competition. Flashlights / farts / quotes / bartenders / etc are very easy to make and are a good introduction to new wp7 developers.
What I really came here to say though, is that there is a BIG onus on US to review and rate these apps. We should rate and review every single app we use. Even if you give it a low rating it will push apps that noone even bought lower on the list. I've seen a few free apps with 0 reviews.. this should not happen.
I have an app in development that should be above mediocre, but it takes time and I only got my device for testing 2 days ago. So be patient, we're churning them out.
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Thank you for this bit of reminder. Even when I was in Android, I made good use of the rating system...in WinMo on the HD2 also...and I most of the time forgot to rate them myself.
All these app stores, Apple, Android and Microsoft's, suffer the same problem that there's a glut of garbage in them. I can't speak for Android's as I haven't used it in ages but the problem with Apple's is their lousy rating and review system and poor (if any) filtering. I suspect the Apple and Android stores will probably always look like the software version of a garage sale but my hope is that Microsoft identifies and comes up with a good solution to the problem. Being able to sort based on units sold over a period of time, for example, would cause the real trash to immediately sink to the bottom and out of sight regardless of rating. A great fart board is still a fart board, for example, and how many of any individual app is going to be sold? Out of sight, out of mind.

WP7 is easy coding!!

Coding wars: iOS vs Android vs Windows Phone 7
Just saw this one getting RT on twitter. we need more discussions here. so i brought it over to see what you all thinks.
The gist of the competition is that the Windows Phone 7 trounced everyone. Whereas the iOS and Android groups had created one page of the app, the WP7 team created "...a mostly working application with most features implemented". In addition, the Androiders had problems with Compiz (a Linux window manager), which kept crashing.
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sadoway said:
Coding wars: iOS vs Android vs Windows Phone 7
Just saw this one getting RT on twitter. we need more discussions here. so i brought it over to see what you all thinks.
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I don't know why, but that set me in fits of laughter XD
Back when the WP7 SDK was still in beta Microsoft held a competition to see who could write the best app. The person who won wrote a streaming music application that he spent less than a day coding on with no prior WP7 experience. He said the same app with a few more features on it took him over 2 weeks to develop on android.
From everything I've been reading. I actually think wp7 sounds like a good platform for beginners. I used to do some coding in highschool. Nothing to advanced, but forgot most everything except maybe logical thinking. Just need a few days to research some resources. Been on xda for a couple years. Might be time to become a contributed
Sent from my LG Optimus 7
I'd prefer World War 3 being a Coding war. quick and painless.
To bad the wp7 user base can't be considered a nation yet.
WP7's design/api is very good for consuming data, this is why the majority of apps are just "lists of something", however it's not good at anything else...
id have to argue that. ive had mine for a week. sure some of the apps are super simple "lists"
but there are a handfull of other apps that the UI is not even close to metro and completely custom. and there are a bunch of games already that are more than simple puzzle games, doodle. like the iphone. im personally really bored with puzzle games, bejewled exluded because i love that game.
it really is a matter of developers making the software. its coming. i had android when it first came out. and aside from the apps that came from the google contest. if was ****. and honestly. most of the apps on android are **** still. so much spam apps. like 200 are just flags. they have so many repative apps that just have maybe one tiny thing changed. where all of those 200 flag apps. could be 1. its an imflated app system. demo and full apps. microsoft was smart where these demo and full apps are typicaly concidered 1 app.
who cares about how many apps each OS has. android is mega inflated and not at all realistic. microsft WILL have a "smaller" number. simoply because demo and full apps are the same.
honestly. how many apps do u scroll thru till you find one you download? 3? 11? 157?
WP7 barely has ANY apps yet. so of course the first ones out of the gate are going to be simple lists. give it 3 months at least. there will be ports of everyones favourits from other platforms. and probably a few new ones that people will drool over wp7.
not a fan with the quick judgments on this platform. i follow my phone closely, the trends, yeah microsoft does have alot of work ahead of them. but it has to start somewhere.
nobody knew about android when it came out. Microsoft does have a larger base. they just need to win everyone back. and IMO it wont be that hard once you use the platform for a couple hours.
I have pc/mac/android/iphone/ipad/WP7
each have there advantages. and not even close to the end of the game for WP7. they really are just getting warmed up.
sorry. went on a rant
though i agree with sadoway, this is also evident in windows phone marketplace (as is iTunes). You can't really get around it unless they really do enforce it's use. Though in some cases I wish they did. I saw like 20 apps a few days ago all from the same company, with the same logo, just different title. I didn't even bother to see what it was, but yea, it's existant in windows phone as well.
im just happy to see that at least the "trial" button. it makes market a bit user friendly. it will cut down on the amount of apps they say they have... (for the people who actualy care but dont know what it means) imo its just a number
its like saying u have 6gb or ram on a winxp computer. most of it is useless anyways, it just sounds impressive when its not.
Once you're doing something else than hammering simple data into lists, it'll show whether you can code your way out of a wet paper bag or not.
Certain limitations in .NET like lack of union structures or pointers (pinning objects will automatically fail certification, due to unsafe code) requires people to get creative to squeeze performance out of algorithms.

Developers are stepping up!

I would just like to point out the amazing jobs developers are doing in the lead up to Mango. Over the last 2 weeks we've had many official apps people want on a platform and hopefully this will last up to and beyond the Mango release. Also hats off to Microsoft as I'm sure they have something to do with it (close release dates can't just be a coincidence). A few examples of official apps from various markets released only in the last 2 weeks:
- IM+
- NBC Nightly
- MTV News
- Evernote
- FoodSpotting
- VH1 To Go
- Steven Colbert's The Word
- StubHub
- Best Buy
- AmazonFresh
- L'Equipe
- i>tele
- Larousse Francais
- Tele 7 Programme TV
- Telerama
- Dictionary.com
- Allrecipes
- XE Currency
- Photofunia
- KiK Messenger
- Weight Watchers
- National Park Maps
- Qype
- Plants vs Zombies
- Angry Birds
Now if only Mango would come very very soon we'd be a happy bunch .
Peew971 said:
I would just like to point out the amazing jobs developers are doing in the lead up to Mango. Over the last 2 weeks we've had many official apps people want on a platform and hopefully this will last up to and beyond the Mango release. Also hats off to Microsoft as I'm sure they have something to do with it (close release dates can't just be a coincidence).
.
.
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Now if only Mango would come very very soon we'd be a happy bunch .
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Yeah, WP7 is really moving on now. Some of the apps you mentioned are not available over here in Germany, but the ones I happened to have tested are really nice. Especially because of the ease of use that the metro ui offers. I'm really looking forward to what kind of apps mango will spawn.
Yeah they all seem well made and not just lazy ports from iOS/android. I missed a few too like Gowalla for instance.
Sent from my Samsung Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Yep, the app offering is getting quite better (if we aren't concerning too much about increasing spam).
Feels like all the traction needed for the 'real' launch of wp7 will be there only with the Mango/Nokia binome, though
andycted said:
Yep, the app offering is getting quite better (if we aren't concerning too much about increasing spam).
Feels like all the traction needed for the 'real' launch of wp7 will be there only with the Mango/Nokia binome, though
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There are a few good apps that do a better job filtering out crap apps than the official marketplace. WP7applist and Marketplace search are two that I have used.
yes it's good
ryude said:
There are a few good apps that do a better job filtering out crap apps than the official marketplace. WP7applist and Marketplace search are two that I have used.
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Yep, I know, but the point of building a marketplace _late_ and from the ground up, was -I though- avoiding the errors made by those who arrived first. At this point I'm still uncertain if they managed it, when I see 20 cloned apps floating in the new section now and then, apps that track one single guy achievements in a single game (20x times) and such things. But that's another argument.
I use Top Apps 2, which sorts apps/games based on reviews and not download count and has a nice set of filters.
andycted said:
Yep, I know, but the point of building a marketplace _late_ and from the ground up, was -I though- avoiding the errors made by those who arrived first. At this point I'm still uncertain if they managed it, when I see 20 cloned apps floating in the new section now and then, apps that track one single guy achievements in a single game (20x times) and such things. But that's another argument.
I use Top Apps 2, which sorts apps/games based on reviews and not download count and has a nice set of filters.
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Very true, and if you really think about it, we only have about 1,000 apps that are worth using. The rest is crap.
ryude said:
Very true, and if you really think about it, we only have about 1,000 apps that are worth using. The rest is crap.
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I'm not totally against marketplace opening. But it's clear Microsoft has absolutely no policy on app content or rather non-content.
Having an RSS app for every RSS feed out there makes zero sense, but they're not concerned by that.
Peew971 said:
Yeah they all seem well made and not just lazy ports from iOS/android.
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I wouldn't mind if they ported all the apps over, then started fixing them.
Even more official apps today like American Airlines or E! Can't list them all but WP7 is on a roll at the moment.
Sent from my Samsung Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
All it took was the Nokia announcement I guess...
Still going on today with some new official apps (mostly European). I'm hoping for a non-US Amazon and Audible soon .
Some official apps released today: Fox News, Marmiton, DC Comics, Voyages-SNCF, Sky Italy TV Guide.
VEVO was also released today!
wow im loving the pace of the way things are moving with wp7
the dc comics app is gorgeous.
man im loving this pace...its been app after app after app.
Foursquare is back by the way, totally revamped.
Sent from my Samsung Omnia 7 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
There is a trend on wp7 which is quite different than android. it's both good and bad in my opinion.
Games which are not xbox-live, even good ones, aren't really promoted on the platform. The same goes for apps that aren't 'official'.
This isn't bad per-se, meaning big companies with good resources can provide very polished good apps, like the ones you mentioned.
On the other hand, independent developer are left with their own means, with the menace of ever increasing spam and invisibility.
The 'featured' section is confined to 'official' apps like the ones you mentioned and the games section official promotion/visibility is monopoly of xbox.
While this can produce a few good standard apps, I think Microsoft could work better with the plumbing necessary for indie devs. Right now they basically have no interest in putting some boundaries between a good indie app/game and a crap/cloned/spammy one. They just mention that the 'marketplace will decide for itself'. Seems a bit too little.
Yeah I know this isn't all that weird, but seeing stuff like doodle jump on xbox live and free clones that got to the platform months earlier, that are free and actually better than the original... I feel something is missing.
Personally, seeing the problems linked with the 'free' and 'new' sections of the marketplace, it seems to me that they had the potential for the ultimate best mobile marketplace ever, and they've blown it away following previous models and standards.
All this to say that it's excellent to see all these official apps coming out (whilte the title of the thread is wrong, since it's not 'devs' that are stepping up, rather it's companies that bought in), there are a few missed opportunities to have a mix of what is good on android and ios together.
Don't misunderstand me, I know wp7 is far closer to ios than android, at least for marketplace structure. And I would still take this marketplace over others.
I just think people upstairs care too much about numbers
[disclaimer] yep, I do develop indie stuff, like the game you can find on the signature, so my point of view is partial. At the same time I feel like spam, app quality and visibility is a big issue with the current marketplace structure, because it's still at 1/10 at other marketplaces size but already affected by similar problems (cloned apps, spam apps, non-content apps). I didn't expect it on a new system like wp7, but evidently it's normal.
streak continues..The New York Times official app dropped today, not too much of a biggie but its slick and for wp7 now
andycted said:
There is a trend on wp7 which is quite different than android. it's both good and bad in my opinion.
Games which are not xbox-live, even good ones, aren't really promoted on the platform. The same goes for apps that aren't 'official'.
This isn't bad per-se, meaning big companies with good resources can provide very polished good apps, like the ones you mentioned.
On the other hand, independent developer are left with their own means, with the menace of ever increasing spam and invisibility.
The 'featured' section is confined to 'official' apps like the ones you mentioned and the games section official promotion/visibility is monopoly of xbox.
While this can produce a few good standard apps, I think Microsoft could work better with the plumbing necessary for indie devs. Right now they basically have no interest in putting some boundaries between a good indie app/game and a crap/cloned/spammy one. They just mention that the 'marketplace will decide for itself'. Seems a bit too little.
Yeah I know this isn't all that weird, but seeing stuff like doodle jump on xbox live and free clones that got to the platform months earlier, that are free and actually better than the original... I feel something is missing.
Personally, seeing the problems linked with the 'free' and 'new' sections of the marketplace, it seems to me that they had the potential for the ultimate best mobile marketplace ever, and they've blown it away following previous models and standards.
All this to say that it's excellent to see all these official apps coming out (whilte the title of the thread is wrong, since it's not 'devs' that are stepping up, rather it's companies that bought in), there are a few missed opportunities to have a mix of what is good on android and ios together.
Don't misunderstand me, I know wp7 is far closer to ios than android, at least for marketplace structure. And I would still take this marketplace over others.
I just think people upstairs care too much about numbers
[disclaimer] yep, I do develop indie stuff, like the game you can find on the signature, so my point of view is partial. At the same time I feel like spam, app quality and visibility is a big issue with the current marketplace structure, because it's still at 1/10 at other marketplaces size but already affected by similar problems (cloned apps, spam apps, non-content apps). I didn't expect it on a new system like wp7, but evidently it's normal.
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You do have a valid point on how Microsoft handle apps visibility, it's a bit of a shame but I can understand that as a new platform they need to promote the known apps and games to prove that the OS is viable. Hopefully this will change soon enough and maybe the web marketplace will improve things.
As for indie devs, I think the issue too many have is that they don't try hard enough to offer something compelling and truly exciting. I generalise a lot mind you, there are lots of talented developers making WP7 apps. However when I see something like 4th & Mayor, an app so good they made foursquare remove then redesign their official app, I'm wondering why more developers aren't producing this kind of work (not to mention the 4th&M developer shares his work with whoever wants it). We also need more original content, not just clones. I mean, Chickens n' Vixens is nice and all but we knew from day one Angry Birds was coming and that it would obviously get all the attention from Microsoft and most consumers. The amount of work that went into that could have been put in something much more original, it's a bit like a waste of talent.
Then again I'm not a developer so I shouldn't criticise but from where I stand, if an app is excellent it will be recognised and featured as such.
dapoharoun said:
streak continues..The New York Times official app dropped today, not too much of a biggie but its slick and for wp7 now
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I've seen others actually like PEGI, Alitalia, Accuweather, France 24, 2 new WeightWatchers apps and more I can't remember.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Vs. Omnia 7

Hi,
I am tired of my current WP7, its almost 4 months now and their has been no major development in the APP market scene.. everyone just release initial app and than forget about it with no updates and no improvements.. the Gaming market scene of Xbox is pretty much dead too with no new fun game, I had pretty bad experience with Sonic which is practically unplayable and other boring games which have started coming out recently.. it seems Xbox is releasing games just for the heck of it.. ex: geodefence and tentacles.. boring not worth paying which are like free in android market..
I am really getting inclined to give up my WP7 and switch to Android now and buy Galaxy S2.. its has some plus points and some minus points:
Plus:
I can expand my memory.
Looks better.
Its Smoled 'Plus'.
It might have better battery? I am not sure about this.
Established Android market.
Minus:
Its too big for my pocket.
No ZUNE Pass like service.
I have to give up my Achievements Score and I dont know if they have anything similar to this.
I have never used Android and have never seen one ever before.. its completely new to me and I dont even know where is the settings option, I dont know if I will like it after using WM6.5 and now WP7 for last 7 years. I have seen Iphone before and used it for like a week, but never spend even 20 secs with an Android phone.
With all the hype surround MANGO which I am waiting for, I dont think Microsoft will release any major update after that for a really long time.. If this MANGO dosent work and the APP and GAMES Marketplace dosent become more vibrant than it is right now.. than I am thinking this WP7 could just become a device for people could not afford phones like Iphone and GALAXY S2, like a second option, a second choice market, which I am scared of.. I want to own the best and not the second choice.. and right now it seems GALAXY S2 with its ANDROID thing is the best phone in market.
Hmm. Not sure if I quite get where you're coming from with the apps and games thing. Over the last month, a ton of apps, big names and small, have come to the platform. A ton more coming and updated post-Mango. I mean, the market will most likely hit 30k apps soon. I don't have, nor do I use, 30k apps on my phone, not to mention the 100k+ or 400k+ of android and iphone, respectively.
Also, I'm pretty sure that every installed app, or almost every installed app, on my phone has seen an update... several at that. So, I missed you on the "no updates and no improvements" part. Are there specific apps that YOU are missing, or need that you can't find in the windows marketplace?
Games-wise, well that's a matter of preference. Games you find boring, others may find greatly exciting. For example, one recent game which has come to the platform that I like is Arcane Tower Defense. It's a fantasy version of the classic tower defense genre with some twists.
I also like little games like Vanessa Saint-Pierre Delacroix and her Nightmare. But, after Mango there will be many games including multiplayer fighting games, RPGs, you name it, real time and turn-based.
As to the GS2. I haven't used it personally. I do know you can't get xbox live benefits like achievments, however. I'm sure somebody else here is more informed on the phone than I. I hear it's a killer phone, though. And, there may also be a WP7 version of the phone as well.
But, dig around a bit and check out the apps that have hit the marketplace in the last month or so as well as the games. I think you may be pleasantly surprised. Then again...
Purple11 said:
With all the hype surround MANGO which I am waiting for, I dont think Microsoft will release any major update after that for a really long time..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are on a yearly cycle for major updates, like pretty much everyone else.
I am finding it increasingly difficult to do business with this phone, its been so long and yet their is no decent Calendar App like Pocket Informant. The built in calendar app is very basic, I want to create recurring appointment on every first Tuesday of a month which was possible on PI8 but not here.
I miss Apps like SPB Diary which let me scroll my entire contacts and entire days appointments right from the front screen, and SPB Pocket Plus which basically was what Android is right now, a choice of multiple home screens with one app, thats what SPB Pocket Plus was.
I want Resco Audio Recorder which auto recorded all my incoming and outgoing calls, not because I want to spy but because if someone tells me large reference number on phone I dont have to tap and write at that moment, I could just say go ahead i am writing it down, and later I would just play back that call and note down what was that number.
I want the missing file explorer which is their present in android right now.
Metratrader 4 app for real time live trading execution in currency and stocks right from your phone, nothing like that exists in WP7, I know we have it for Iphone I dont know about android..
We say we have so many number of apps and things like that, but look at the top 10 PAID apps in each of the categories..
Business:
6 are language learning, 3 are business cards, 2 are time tracker and one to tie knots...
Tools and Productivity:
2 flashlights, 1 night clock, 1 air horn, 1, dog whistle, 1 that saves pic in pdf format and calls itself 'scanner' (very poor scanning my direct camera photo is better than their PDF it include handy scan app too), 2 remote desktop (10 USD each)..
Personal Finance:
7 budget software (all exactly same, just store your spending, nothing else, useless, nothing like SPB Finance), remaninf 4 are market watch apps which all just does the same thing which is stream rates of top 10 cos from yahoo or google.. , no decent wallet app like CODEwallet Pro where we could create nice cards from desktop and sync it to wallet on phone, no actual trading app.. nothing..
Sounds like Android is a better fit for you.
PG2G said:
Sounds like Android is a better fit for you.
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Click to collapse
Yep. Agreed.
In this kind of needs and preferences better try Android. WP7 is not really meant for this type of usage. This is what I have found for myself and while WP7 started to be frustrating after few months, Android solved everything for me in every respect.
I also want to see Mango and keep my Optimus 7 however some things are still not in the pipeline, like file explorers, USB docs/email sync and some apps like Opera Mini... And I'm afraid there won't by alternatives for core apps of WP7 either.
I understand your points well. I would also suggest that
Android is the right choise.
Just another way to look at things i would like to mention is, maybe most of the things you miss is just ways you USED to work with your phone? What ever WP is, its a new way to interact with your phone. For a old WM user like me, it was very wierd in the start, and i felt naked. I got used to it thou and currently having a replacment Android phone, while my current device is in for service. And now i miss my WP. It's strange how you miss the cow's afterwards.
Im staying with WP.
Just some thoughts from another side.
um..
I was thinking the same thing about switching to android, but I wont abandon wp all together. I'll give it a good year to mature
We have omnia7 and galaxy s. Of course the galaxy s fits better to my hardcore needs because it has al lot more options and you have a lot of custom roms and so on. BUT sometimes I'm really jealous about Omnia 7 perfect materials. And android is never as perfect designed as wp7. Android and its tons of different launchers is looking like an evolution of symbian and iOS. WP7 is something fresh and easy. Its what a phone is ment to be: a very easy and fast (internet) communication device. Not an overfilled little laptop.
So it's your choice: easy to use and well designed Omnia7 or a powerful plastic (gaming-)device with childish looking interface.
By the way: mango is awesome!
The galaxy s II is one of the finest android phones available. If you're looking for a feature set more similar to the old windows mobile ( and it sounds like you are), then Android is truly your best option.
Microsoft doesn't want a "complicated" phone platform anymore. They want consumer-facing, easy to use, social media and entertainment oriented with the ability to handle corporate e-mail, calendar and document editing if you need it in a pinch.
I doubt we're going to see anything like file managers or similar anytime soon, if at all.
I owned a Galaxy s II before selling it to a friend who needed a new phone, and I would purchase the device again in a heartbeat if I decided I wanted to use android.
Andrmgic said:
I doubt we're going to see anything like file managers or similar anytime soon, if at all.
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Click to collapse
Yeah I'm pretty sure we won't. Hell, even desktop operating systems may be moving away from file managers.
PG2G said:
Yeah I'm pretty sure we won't. Hell, even desktop operating systems may be moving away from file managers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah maybe in 2050. You must be kidding. For any profi usage these are the basics.
I will give this phone a try till December, if nothing comes up in the APP scene better than what it is at present than I will switch to Android perm for good.. I am not the one who keeps two phones or keep migrating from one to another OS frequently.. I just choose the best and stay with it for a long time..
i desperately need a better calendar app for appointments.. this whole wide calendar tile is just a wasteful eye candy which i have come to realize.. auto call recording which i guess with the absence of file explorer will never come to wp7.. i want to make my phone a USB on the Go like thing, a pen drive... 16 GB of total storage is too small..
I dont know how microsoft thinks they make a 3 horse race with these features missing.. its basically a two horse race, racing in front and a 3rd horse limping behind to catch the bets by people made by error ...
Purple11 said:
I dont know how microsoft thinks they make a 3 horse race with these features missing.. its basically a two horse race, racing in front and a 3rd horse limping behind to catch the bets by people made by error ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have very specific requirements that the average user doesn't care about. Recording phone calls without consent isn't even legal in many states.
PG2G said:
You have very specific requirements that the average user doesn't care about. Recording phone calls without consent isn't even legal in many states.
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Click to collapse
Yep. Microsoft isn't gearing this phone toward the likes of the geeks and tech nerds that frequent this forum. The average user makes up the majority of users, thus the demographic Microsoft seeks to lure to WP7.
As far as what you need, you will find that some of these things will come to WP7 like various calendar apps due to the vast number of APIs made available by MS.
You may also find that some of these things may never come or may not come for quite some time. I, for one, hope to never see a file explorer on WP7.
The fact is, this isn't android and that's a good thing. Each has its own role to play and fits in where they fit in. If WP7 had been around back in 2008 as the alternative to ATT and the iphone, android would most likely be a niche device for the above geeks and tech nerds.
That being said, only Android will fully fill your present and perhaps future needs.
Good luck. Whichever direction ya go.
Wyn6 said:
As far as what you need, you will find that some of these things will come to WP7 like various calendar apps due to the vast number of APIs made available by MS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one of the things that I was thinking about as I read what he wanted to do. Unfortunately, Mango only allows for read-only access to the Contacts and Appointments. The only way to create an app like that (that actually integrates with the existing calendar app) would be to make the changes in the cloud and let the phone sync like normal. I guess you could always have a 100% standalone calendar app though.
I also want to say that the inability to expand memory using SDHC card will restrict many companies to bring their larger good graphics game to WP7... I have 16GB but I know their are people with only 8GB memory and they cannot expand it..
Now checkout this game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CwSedSzckE&feature=relmfu
It looks a very heavy game by memory wise , if we want games like this on WP7 than 8GB device is a very small handset to have several of this kind of game.. I dont think gameloft can bring such games to WP7 with current restrictions on expandable memory..
****ty textures.. probably fits into the 400-500mb range.
The iphone version weighs in at 511MB..
You should probably get the SGS II and be done with it. You're not likely to find a better android device this year, and android will serve your purposes better than WP7.
It'll play 1080p h264 video in a mkv container without re-encoding.. and supports HDMI out using a MHL adapter.
Even with Mango's new APIs, you're not going to get the same level of functionality that you're looking for.
1. WP7 apps are not written using native code, they use silverlight, XNA or a combination of the two
2. There will never be a file manager or a task manager
3. There is no bluetooth file transfer
4. No Expandable storage
5. Small number of applications (this will be less of an issue as time goes by.. the marketplace is growing fairly rapidly)
6. Limited hardware options
7. No true multitasking (applications don't run constantly in the background until they are exited.. they do on android)
8. No Usb mass storage
I have both devices.
Maybe i can help you a bit.
I do have both devices (+ I have some more). It was part of the benefits of my last job and also part ( almost a requirement) of my actual one.
- If you switch to Android from Wp7 you feel like going back to WinMO a bit. Tons of Rom's,tons of walpapers but milligrams if you need help.
- The greatest benefit of WP7 is the unified platform. Maybe you don't realize it atm, but for 99% of people I've spoken to, it's a deal breaker.
- Not, I repeat, not my solely opinion: everything onscreen with Omnia7 looks better than on SGS2. People always want to tinker with the Omnia7 when I put both phones on the table (sometimes I carry the IPhone 4 with me also).
- SGS2 is literally bloated with redundant crapware. If you guys have ever bought a Sony Vaio in 2008-2010, this is worse.
- SGS2 takes mindblowing photos and FullHD videos (that they don't look like shot through a fishbowl).
-there are some neat tricks bundled on SGS2 but nothing you can't dl from market for free.
-battery is on par.
-voice commands are better on WP7.
-SGS2 feels like under development. 16bit graphics + wake up lag...for amoled+ and dual core? WTF?
- WP7 is more on the legal side, harder to sideload stolen/cracked apps. On android, on the other hand, you get hundreds of forums just for that.
If you have more questions I'd be happy to answer.

Lets talk... Why are there so many lackluster apps on the marketplace?

I was recently pondering this question of "Why are there so many lackluster apps on the marketplace?" while I was looking into improvements for my app.
It really does seem that there are only a hundred or so, really inspiring Metro based apps on the WP7 marketplace, and Im not sure why. Even many of the developers who are active with their apps have truly un-inspiring visual apps, or downright stripped functionality. Im not sure why, granted you see a similar pattern with Android, which from what I can tell is much worse, but WHY? These developers are just one-off releasing apps, they are most commonly very active.
Just thought I would see if anyone had any input on this.
Its like that on all market places. Did you think there was over 500,000 aw inspiring apps?
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
How many things
I have pondered the high number of apps for quite some time as well, but I approached it from another angle:
Think about it like this: How many different things can you possibly do with a smartphone? Well, quite a lot, obviously, but interestingly as soon as I start to enumerate, I run into problems to continue pretty soon. Maybe I can name 100 different things to "do" with a smartphone.
Now, say I forget a lot of things, and other people do other things than me anyway, and there will be new things that nobody has thought of so far, so let's take this times 10 and proclaim that you can use a smartphone for a full one thousand different things. (I would really love to see this list.)
If you cover each thing with, say, 10 different apps, so people have choice and can take the app the like, and there is healthy competition, we arrive a grand total number of 10'000 apps that make sense - ever. Anything beyond that is simply too much.
If you think 1'000 things to do with your smartphone is way too low I would challenge you to list 1'000 things that you do in your daily life, overall and in general, with your smartphone or otherwise - our lives are quite interesting, but there are limits of what we all do.
Ok, now let's be generous and throw in 50'000 different games which are not subject of things that must make sense, after all you can just invent and invent new variants of games.
That absolute upper limit of 60'000 apps or so is pretty low compared with the contents of the app stores, isn't it?
^ it is low, but you have to add in the different region apps too, different languages, and all of their variations. Thus the huge number of apps.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
rbrunner7 said:
I have pondered the high number of apps for quite some time as well, but I approached it from another angle:
Think about it like this: How many different things can you possibly do with a smartphone? Well, quite a lot, obviously, but interestingly as soon as I start to enumerate, I run into problems to continue pretty soon. Maybe I can name 100 different things to "do" with a smartphone.
Now, say I forget a lot of things, and other people do other things than me anyway, and there will be new things that nobody has thought of so far, so let's take this times 10 and proclaim that you can use a smartphone for a full one thousand different things. (I would really love to see this list.)
If you cover each thing with, say, 10 different apps, so people have choice and can take the app the like, and there is healthy competition, we arrive a grand total number of 10'000 apps that make sense - ever. Anything beyond that is simply too much.
If you think 1'000 things to do with your smartphone is way too low I would challenge you to list 1'000 things that you do in your daily life, overall and in general, with your smartphone or otherwise - our lives are quite interesting, but there are limits of what we all do.
Ok, now let's be generous and throw in 50'000 different games which are not subject of things that must make sense, after all you can just invent and invent new variants of games.
That absolute upper limit of 60'000 apps or so is pretty low compared with the contents of the app stores, isn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1:Manage your bank account....how many different banks are out there.
2:Follow your local news....how many tv station, radio station, newspapers.
3:Follow your favorite sports team...how many teams out there.
4:Manage you reservations....for every hotel, rental car, airline.
5:Stream video....from every network, internet service, cable/satellite provider, your own network at home.
Now, how many tens of thousands of apps would it take just to cover those 5 functions that you can do with your smartphone?
Millions of apps
66stang351 said:
Now, how many tens of thousands of apps would it take just to cover those 5 functions that you can do with your smartphone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I know, let me guestimate that there are maybe 10'000 large cities on this planet. Then you have 10'000 "Map of City x" apps, plus another 10'000 "Public Transport Time Table for City x", and again 10'000 "Coming Events in City x", and on and on.
Of course this brings up all kinds of questions, e.g. whether it really makes sense to turn all these things into an app where a website would perfectly do, but anyway, I concede you have a point.
I developped the habit to check all the new apps that appear in the Marketplace daily, and of course I see many apps of this type appear, but in my estimate at least half of the apps are just "garbage".
And what really makes me sad: Usually many days pass until I find a new app that really surprises me, an app with a real idea if you know what I mean, where somebody found something new - a rare gem of creativity. All that time spent building apps, what must amount to man centuries even, and then this meager result - it's a shame.
It's a growing thing. When Android and iOS were first released, there weren't many lackluster applications for awhile. Currently, developers are just trying to get everything on Windows Phone 7 that is already on Android and iOS...to include tools, games, instant messaging platforms, etc. Once they've caught up, then the developers will start using creativity.
It's not really a problem, just give it time
PoorCollegeGuy said:
It's a growing thing. When Android and iOS were first released, there weren't many lackluster applications for awhile. Currently, developers are just trying to get everything on Windows Phone 7 that is already on Android and iOS...to include tools, games, instant messaging platforms, etc. Once they've caught up, then the developers will start using creativity.
It's not really a problem, just give it time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you think its due to lack of API restricted by MS that not want to allow developer to work on!!
Just me maybe but i hardly even look at the market anymore.
Sent from my LG-P920 using xda premium
Well I rather lackluster apps than the other side of things shown here. Kind of explains why if you do not have one of the really popular Android phones why you may see more force closes than someone holding a SGS2.
taruian said:
Don't you think its due to lack of API restricted by MS that not want to allow developer to work on!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with the API restrictions. It has kept me from making an app i really want to but on the other hand I as a developer feel that having eye candy in your app is a must. My specific type of apps for WP7 make the Android and iPhone users jealous as they dont have eye candy apps in that genre in their marketplaces. Also a lot of devs try to push many apps out for the money. Like if you include ads in your apps. The more apps the revenue you can earn as its a numbers game. So i think they rush on the design part.
vetvito said:
Its like that on all market places. Did you think there was over 500,000 aw inspiring apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This. Is there any objective evidence the amount of dross in the MSFT app store is any more than any other OS' app store?
People like to see their name in lights. It's as simple as that. Someone barely cobbles together an app with their meager programing skills and uploads it just to see their name in the app store.
sitizenx said:
^This. Is there any objective evidence the amount of dross in the MSFT app store is any more than any other OS' app store?
People like to see their name in lights. It's as simple as that. Someone barely cobbles together an app with their meager programing skills and uploads it just to see their name in the app store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apple apply quality control on submitted apps. They will reject any apps that are buggy, crash or which don't serve a useful purpose. They are notoriously strict, causing quite a few famous publishing issues.
Mean while, Microsoft also have a submission possess, but not sure what it actually does? I remember reading on here about as developer that submitted 6 WP7 apps, that all just displayed a block on screen (each app was a different colour) and they all got published. A paid appstore should be no place for test apps; It's almost like MS don't care, and just want to boost their numbers..
Android market has no QA; anyone can submit anything. Most wild-west like app-store, but stuff doesn't get pulled off the store randomly like the above two.
^ you're joking about Apples QC right? That has got to be joke of the day.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2
whodisname said:
Just me maybe but i hardly even look at the market anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
pretty the same here. For quite some time now I have found all the apps I need and I only look for new ones (or alternatives f.e. different twitter apps etc.) very rarely, maybe when "super new, awesome app blabla" is featured on some news website.
The majority of apps I use work fine and aren't "lackluster". Just 3 or 4 I wish they would make improvements/alternative app.
Of course there are many not so good apps in the marketplace but thats a problem of every device, not even only phones. just look how much crappy software or games are available for pc.

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