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I'm hoping to take the plunge and buy an HTC Desire when they are available. To date I have used both WinMob and iPhone extensively.
One area of concern to me is the quality of the 3rd party apps available from the Android Market Place. I've searched at length for them and always come up short. Being used to the iPhone App Store, I am worried that the Android apps are not up to the same standard.
Can anyone point me to a resource which I can browse/search for Android apps, without first needing to own an actual phone in order to see??
As an example, the HTC Desire has an electronic compass built in. Now, with the iPhone, you get a built-in beautiful compass app with which to use the sensor. From what I can see, an app is not included with the Android phones, and my searches to date for an Android compass app have only come up with some frankly appalling ugly basic compass apps, and one which looks roughly photographic, but doesnt show any flair.
So, where is the good stuff, and can I browse it from my PC? I keep hearing of 20,000 apps, but my searches turn up lists of perhaps 10 (mostly poor) apps.
not sure if you could view all apps without actually having an android phone, but here is a very useful website about Android Market
http://androidfeeder.com/
Update: using this site you can search Android Apps/Games http://www.androlib.com/, this one too http://www.cyrket.com/m/android/
Update: and here is a list of ultimate free apps for android http://techpp.com/2009/11/10/ultimate-list-of-free-android-apps-part-1/
http://www.cyrket.com/search?q=compass&market=android
Compass Pro (Free) looks a lot like the iPhone version.
When you got the desire, you can try every app for 24hours and if you dont like the app, get your money back!
Thanks for all the suggestions. But I must say that the suggested sites are the ones I had already found, and to be frank, they are a cacophony of disjointed information, poor screen shots, and distraction.
I'm sure there are some software gems in there, but the sites seem to be determined to hide them.
The ultimate free apps pointer is the best list I have seen so far. Many of the sites dont even seem to bother offering a decent screen shot, if any at all.
The-Nazgul said:
When you got the desire, you can try every app for 24hours and if you dont like the app, get your money back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, I didn't know this! That's very handy
I was worried that I'd purchase an app to find it doesn't work or isn't what was expected.
Also, try this site:
www.appbrain.com
Just be aware that most of these sites just reflect the information from the Android Market (accessed by your phone) onto a web page. This is not new or different information than what you would see in the market from your device - just copied in a slightly different package on the web.
Once difference with App Brain is you can choose not to see some of the spam apps. Also, with App Brain you can select apps from the website that you want to install - then, later open the App Brain app on your device and sync the apps - which will install the apps you selected on the web to your device using the Android Market interface. Works pretty well.
Neat. I will check that out.
TVM
XDAgeek said:
I'm hoping to take the plunge and buy an HTC Desire when they are available. To date I have used both WinMob and iPhone extensively.
One area of concern to me is the quality of the 3rd party apps available from the Android Market Place. I've searched at length for them and always come up short. Being used to the iPhone App Store, I am worried that the Android apps are not up to the same standard.
Can anyone point me to a resource which I can browse/search for Android apps, without first needing to own an actual phone in order to see??
As an example, the HTC Desire has an electronic compass built in. Now, with the iPhone, you get a built-in beautiful compass app with which to use the sensor. From what I can see, an app is not included with the Android phones, and my searches to date for an Android compass app have only come up with some frankly appalling ugly basic compass apps, and one which looks roughly photographic, but doesnt show any flair.
So, where is the good stuff, and can I browse it from my PC? I keep hearing of 20,000 apps, but my searches turn up lists of perhaps 10 (mostly poor) apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being absolutely honest - the standard of some identical apps is MUCH higher on the iPhone. I was checking out a friend's iPhone last night, and the RAC Traffic app is so much nicer. A little (fruit-machine type) roller to select the geographic area you want, as opposed to a crappy flat pop-up Android menu, and when you toggle between the map view/traffic update view, the iPhone version has an animation like you're folding back a page, whereas Android's is just a standard instant screen change. Oh, and the Android one doesn't always work properly. It is obvious that a lot more effort went into the iPhone version... I am getting serious envy over that...
There are also apps from big players who just don't even bother with Android versions. I know we keep saying "That will change as Android gains market-share", but how long is it going to take? I don't want those apps in 2yrs time, I want them NOW!
Having said that, the iPhone is locked down, you can barely customise it, and you have to put up with Apple's sh**. Still. I wish I could have iPhone apps on Android, that would be the best of both worlds.
I myself have owned Iphone 3gs, Hd2 and Hero and now waiting for delivery of Desire. To be honest For apps there is no comparison between Iphone and Andriod apps, iphone wins every time.
If apps are the major issue for you then don't buy desire, as you will be slightly dissappointed in lack of quality apps in comparison to the Iphone. But what it lacks in apps it certainly makes up in every other way.
The interface is better, it offers more seamless integration of your contacts from all of your various lists and address books - be they Skype, Twitter, your phone book, Facebook - and knits them together for a more intelligent experience. Multi tasking, optical pad, internet browsing better experience etc the list goes on and on.
That is why I choose to go with Desire and got rid of my Iphone 3GS, let's hope I'm not dissappointed.
riz157 said:
I myself have owned Iphone 3gs, Hd2 and Hero and now waiting for delivery of Desire. To be honest For apps there is no comparison between Iphone and Andriod apps, iphone wins every time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now.. Recent research has shown that more than 50% of the iphone developers is planning to develop for android too, so with a bit of luck and some patience, the level of quality will be improving.
I read in a few places that there are now over 30,000 Andriod Apps on the Android Market, but I don't see them here: http://www.android.com/market/
By my count there are exactly 34 paid apps and 134 free apps...
Am I missing something?
Maybe they show up when browsing from your mobile
you can access from your android mobile, or use http://www.cyrket.com/m/android/
This one is also nice. Easy to search and find the apps/games you need and just Barcode Scan them to install into you phone....
http://uk.androlib.com/
/Dudeldei
I think http://www.appstorehq.com/android-apps is very good. You can download or buy the app directly from the website, from your phone.
Andaho said:
I read in a few places that there are now over 30,000 Andriod Apps on the Android Market, but I don't see them here: http://www.android.com/market/
By my count there are exactly 34 paid apps and 134 free apps...
Am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
android.com/market doesn't show all the apps... stupid I know
You need to use something like cyrket.com or androidlib to view all the apps on a PC.
Ha, I was wondering the same thing as the OP- will have to bookmark the links.
Just on a side note: what's the general procedure of downloading/installing apps from a PC (or for that matter on the device)?
sh500 said:
Ha, I was wondering the same thing as the OP- will have to bookmark the links.
Just on a side note: what's the general procedure of downloading/installing apps from a PC (or for that matter on the device)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you download a application to your PC, you'll have to transfer it to your phone. Either by copying it to your SD card, or by other means. You then have to install it via a file manager like Linda, ASTRO or similar.
If you use the Android Market on your phone, you just find a program, select install and voila.
Thanks for that.
Need to have the device in my hand to really find out things about it and more importantly to me, how it's done differently than on a WinMo device!
Hi,
I just found this when visiting AndroidCentral.com:
http://www.androidcentral.com/app-overload-take-control-android-market-app-brain
With the seer number of apps (30K), I think it is a very nice tool/website to filter out junk apps!
I thought it worth to share
Hi,
I was just wondering are any of the game apps as good as the Iphone. There are many good games but what I have seen so far on android some games look taccy and kind of old.
I have not searched a lot of games. But what are the best games?
I am struggling with this too.
I've become so used to the quality of design, look and function of iPhone apps and their appstore. I am keen to move to the HTC Desire shortly, but am finding it nigh on impossible to even find the spps I will require. I spend ages searching and still come oup with stuff which looks like it was written for a PC 20 years ago. And the recommended sites to browse the apps on are so ugly and full of dross, but more importantly, are unable to present the applications in a way which gives me any confidence that I will be able to satisfy my requirements using this platform.
I thought it must just be me as I am new to it (although I had none of these problems when I moved to iPhone) so asked for pointers. but I am still at a loss as to where the good, well-designed, modern, slick apps are.
I believe the Desire will give me a great comms experience out of the box, but no-one has been able to convince me that the apps I may desire to customise the device to me requirements are actually available.
Please dont think I am having a go; I am not. I am dead keen to move to this platform, but my research is not delivering results so far.
So I ask again, where is the good stuff?
XDAgeek said:
I am struggling with this too.
I've become so used to the quality of design, look and function of iPhone apps and their appstore. I am keen to move to the HTC Desire shortly, but am finding it nigh on impossible to even find the spps I will require. I spend ages searching and still come oup with stuff which looks like it was written for a PC 20 years ago. And the recommended sites to browse the apps on are so ugly and full of dross, but more importantly, are unable to present the applications in a way which gives me any confidence that I will be able to satisfy my requirements using this platform.
I thought it must just be me as I am new to it (although I had none of these problems when I moved to iPhone) so asked for pointers. but I am still at a loss as to where the good, well-designed, modern, slick apps are.
I believe the Desire will give me a great comms experience out of the box, but no-one has been able to convince me that the apps I may desire to customise the device to me requirements are actually available.
Please dont think I am having a go; I am not. I am dead keen to move to this platform, but my research is not delivering results so far.
So I ask again, where is the good stuff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Good stuff is in the market. To find the good stuff you need to search in the market on your phone or via cyrket.com
If you give a list of apps I'll more than hapily find ones that are as good as or better than iPhone equivalents.
I've been trying Cyrket.com but it doesnt seem to work properly for me. All I did was filter for navigation tools and it came up with a blank.
As for a list of required apps,
- Exchange Tasks (with push sync)
- Compass
- London Tube map/planner
- Tide Planner for sailing
- Office apps - Word, Spreadsheet, Powerpoint editing
- Decent dictionary/thesaurus - such as Chambers
- and some quality games with good graphics
That'll do for starters
Android really got it's start as a device platform for the more tech savvy.
Most of the first year's worth of apps were written by developers venturing into the Android app environment. As such - most were pretty rudimentary and more focused on performance (learning how to make an app work well in the Android environment) than aesthetics. Also, there were many more apps made for productivity, communication, etc and very few made for Gaming (as Gaming development is normally a LOT more involved). Finally, the G1 which for a LONG time was the only device available was so memory constricted that many custom home screen apps had difficulty running - MUCH LESS any graphically oriented game. It was a learning experience.
AND, one cannot say (as I have read many claim) that Android is just Linux on a phone so what is the big deal development wise.... I have read this forum a LOT and Android IS NOT just Linux on a phone. There are a lot of differences and a lot more restrictions with Android.
Believe it or not... The Android app scene is constantly improving. Better looking games and more polished apps are constantly coming out.
Please don't try to compare the Android apps available to the Iphone which has had over three years to improve and started out with a better device in the first place.
I really dislike the Iphone and feel it's GUI is not intuitive at all (for me). So, I never really used one at length. But, I have seen some really great games on the Iphone. However, I can definitely say - I ENVY the Iphone devs a great starter phone for development! I only wish that Google/Android had put out a really great device (not memory restricted) as a first device. It would have made it so much easier for the developers to learn and work on.
Try AppBrain.com to search for apps. That is the site I use now. They also have a companion app for the phone.
Thanks for that historical viewpoint.
The interesting thing is that I actually dont 'NEED' to add many 3rd party apps to the Desire spec in order to fill my requirements as the out-of-box experience is so good. I have over 130 apps on my iPhone, but I probably use 10 of them regularly - the rest are just a bit of fun.
At present I am just trying to assimilate what apps are available that I know I will need, and how good the quality is.
Are any of the better 3rd party apps emulating the style of the SENSE UI? That would be cool.
XDAgeek said:
As for a list of required apps,
- Exchange Tasks (with push sync)
- Compass
- London Tube map/planner
- Tide Planner for sailing
- Office apps - Word, Spreadsheet, Powerpoint editing
- Decent dictionary/thesaurus - such as Chambers
- and some quality games with good graphics
That'll do for starters
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This took me 2 minutes on cyrket.com
- Exchange
Am not going to bother searching, htc sense gives exchange functions
- Compass
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.mob4.compassPro/
- Tube
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.presselite.londontube/
- Tides
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.atlantistech.android.tideapp/
- Office
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/android.androffice/
- Dictionary
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/org.freedictionary/
- Games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LEjO9DGppo
http://www.brighthub.com/mobile/google-android/articles/62882.aspx
brummiesteven said:
This took me 2 minutes on cyrket.com
- Exchange
Am not going to bother searching, htc sense gives exchange functions
- Compass
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.mob4.compassPro/
- Tube
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.presselite.londontube/
- Tides
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/com.atlantistech.android.tideapp/
- Office
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/android.androffice/
- Dictionary
http://www.cyrket.com/p/android/org.freedictionary/
- Games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LEjO9DGppo
http://www.brighthub.com/mobile/google-android/articles/62882.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
impressive games
why still I have a WM
Thanks for the list of apps. Some good stuff in there!
Re the Exchange on Desire, the reason I included this in my request was that all my research indicates that the Exchange implementation does not include Tasks.
I could use Moxier Mail which includes task exchange sync, but that may compromise the integration with the rest of the Sense UI, so I am looking for a good Task app with exchange sync, perhaps using WebDav.
It would be great if Tasks was included in the Sense interface as standard, but so often Tasks are omitted. Baffles me why they leave it out - same on iPhone.
I used andorid thought its one of the Best but want to try WP&? Is there a way like ihone to jailbreak and get apps for free paid ones. Also what are the main disadvantages and advantages?
Thanks
Careful about getting free paid apps - a lot of people here are developers that depend on buyers. But the nice thing about WP7 is that a lot of apps/games have ad supported versions.
This discussion (Android vs. WP7) came up on my blog yesterday.
http://www.m-arcade.com/1/post/2011/03/hardware-htc-arrive-vs-samsung-focus-initial-impressions.html
Start in the second to last comment at the bottom of the page for context, and the response.
thnak swhat do you think about ti is it worth it also is it worth getting htc 7 trophy? What about custom roms any? good ones?
andoridkiller said:
thnak swhat do you think about ti is it worth it also is it worth getting htc 7 trophy? What about custom roms any? good ones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offense, but you're a god damn idiot.
you will get banned from this forum if you discuss getting paid apps for free. That's called warez and is illegal.
As far as comparing the two platforms, here is a basic rundown:
Things in WP7 that are better than Android
*smoother interface with cool animations
*facebook integration into the OS and people hub
*cool hubs that are well integrated and easy to access
*live tiles that update frequently with information
Things in Android that are better than WP7
*you can change the UI to anything you want (including very close approximations of WP7)
*more apps and better free apps/games
*music streaming apps like Pandora and Slacker
*3rd party multi-tasking (listen to Pandora or use messaging apps while doing other things)
*WiFi tethering
*change keyboards (HTC, AOSP, Swype, and many many more)
*much much better facebook app
*saved camera settings
*front facing cameras and video chat
*4G device for every network
*Widgets that you can add to your homescreen that give you information or do cool things.
*Flash support in browser (I was streaming NCAA games this past weekend on my phone)
*folders for apps
*much more development community
*dual-core CPUs on one device and more coming with 1080p HDMI output and other fun goodies.
*ability to mount USB storage
I'm sure I left out some things on both platforms. As you can see my comparison favors Android big time and I would suggest you will be happier with an Android phone. On GSM I'd recommend a Nexus S or a MyTouch4G or wait for a dual-core phone. On CDMA I'd wait for an Evo 3D.
Does Windows not have flash?
andoridkiller said:
Does Windows not have flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no, WP7 does not support flash.
orangekid said:
you will get banned from this forum if you discuss getting paid apps for free. That's called warez and is illegal.
As far as comparing the two platforms, here is a basic rundown:
Things in WP7 that are better than Android
*smoother interface with cool animations
*facebook integration into the OS and people hub
*cool hubs that are well integrated and easy to access
*live tiles that update frequently with information
****Extremely fast and smooth - it just works
Things in Android that are better than WP7
*you can change the UI to anything you want (including very close approximations of WP7)
*more apps and better free apps/games
*music streaming apps like Pandora and Slacker
*3rd party multi-tasking (listen to Pandora or use messaging apps while doing other things)
*WiFi tethering
*change keyboards (HTC, AOSP, Swype, and many many more)
*much much better facebook app
*saved camera settings
*front facing cameras and video chat
*4G device for every network
*Widgets that you can add to your homescreen that give you information or do cool things.
*Flash support in browser (I was streaming NCAA games this past weekend on my phone)
*folders for apps
*much more development community
*dual-core CPUs on one device and more coming with 1080p HDMI output and other fun goodies.
*ability to mount USB storage
******Buggy, slow, needs constant reboots, widgets dont work, crashes and gets virus
I'm sure I left out some things on both platforms. As you can see my comparison favors Android big time and I would suggest you will be happier with an Android phone. On GSM I'd recommend a Nexus S or a MyTouch4G or wait for a dual-core phone. On CDMA I'd wait for an Evo 3D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I added one to each. Personal reason for leaving the epic and buying the arrive.
Don't hold shift while pressing "7" key.
Several points cannot agree:
Things in WP7 that are better than Android
+Not only interface, but also games, apps. Better responsiveness in general
+Better battery life
+I like the camera app better than the Android stock
Things in Android that are better than WP7
-Currently Android launchers are far from similar to the real Metro UI
-There are more free games and apps, and paid apps are in general cheaper, but the quality isn't great
-Widgets actually cannot do cool things... They look like the widgets on your Windows Desktop however, Android widgets don't have any interactive feature. You cannot type anything into the textbox, you touch the textbox then the app launches.
And to OP, I think WP7 is not for you.
orangekid said:
you will get banned from this forum if you discuss getting paid apps for free. That's called warez and is illegal.
As far as comparing the two platforms, here is a basic rundown:
Things in WP7 that are better than Android
*smoother interface with cool animations
*facebook integration into the OS and people hub
*cool hubs that are well integrated and easy to access
*live tiles that update frequently with information
Things in Android that are better than WP7
*you can change the UI to anything you want (including very close approximations of WP7)
*more apps and better free apps/games
*music streaming apps like Pandora and Slacker
*3rd party multi-tasking (listen to Pandora or use messaging apps while doing other things)
*WiFi tethering
*change keyboards (HTC, AOSP, Swype, and many many more)
*much much better facebook app
*saved camera settings
*front facing cameras and video chat
*4G device for every network
*Widgets that you can add to your homescreen that give you information or do cool things.
*Flash support in browser (I was streaming NCAA games this past weekend on my phone)
*folders for apps
*much more development community
*dual-core CPUs on one device and more coming with 1080p HDMI output and other fun goodies.
*ability to mount USB storage
I'm sure I left out some things on both platforms. As you can see my comparison favors Android big time and I would suggest you will be happier with an Android phone. On GSM I'd recommend a Nexus S or a MyTouch4G or wait for a dual-core phone. On CDMA I'd wait for an Evo 3D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
orangekid said:
...words...
*facebook integration into the OS and people hub
...words...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've seen several people mention this 'facebook integration into the OS' thing- what does it mean though ? i know iphone has facebook apps, as does android. or, (gasp) just navigate to facebook's mobile site, and enjoy less mess.
so, what is this deep integration all about ?
ohgood said:
i've seen several people mention this 'facebook integration into the OS' thing- what does it mean though ? i know iphone has facebook apps, as does android. or, (gasp) just navigate to facebook's mobile site, and enjoy less mess.
so, what is this deep integration all about ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so like apple and android, windows phone also has a dedicated facebook application. what apple and android (with the exception of OEMs layering this in) is integrated facebook. what this does is combines your contacts with facebook so that it appears as one massive contact list. you can then link contacts to their facebook account (the phone does it for what it can match up in terms of names, and the rest you can manually link). the idea around this is that instead of having to go into facebook app, find the person, and see what they're doing, you merely click on them in the people's hub (your contact list) and there is a pivot which has "what's new".
this will eventually have twitter as well.
This works not only for contacts, but also for photos, you can view your friends' photos in the Pictures hub. Basically, unless you are a hardcore Facebook user, the OS handles everything you need. I wouldn't use Facebook any other way, at least not frequently.
Even more importantly, you get access to other networks via Windows Live. I am not a social network junkie, but LinkedIn is very useful.
andoridkiller said:
I used andorid thought its one of the Best but want to try WP&? Is there a way like ihone to jailbreak and get apps for free paid ones. Also what are the main disadvantages and advantages?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did I miss this.....
First of all, starting a thread asking whether Android is better than WP7 (or vice versa) is never going to get you anywhere..........
You could have answered all these questions by simply reading the first few threads in this section.
Asking about warez on XDA is just not a good idea as it is illegal and strictly against the forum rules.......
Thread closed. (Better late than never)
So I'm working on a post for my site. It's going to be a list about things a developer does with an application that frustrates us as users. The goal is to highlight common complains from the community about practices devs use in their apps and to hopefully encourage them with feedback to improve.
This is the list I've got so far. Please feel free to chime in if you agree or disagree and ADD any things that bug you as a USER.
--Lack of a live tile: One of the biggest differences on our platforms and others is the inclusion of live tiles. If it makes sense for the application, a live tile is a must. I'm hard pressed to find a large category of apps where a live tile wouldn't make sense at some basic level.
--No fast app switching: No explanation needed, devs get with it.
--Not playing nice with Metro: You make an app for iOS or Android and now you want to port it Windows Phone as fast as possible...so fast you don't think about the design. Great apps on Windows Phone are those that capitalize on the principles of the design language.
--Have both a paid and free version of an app: Do a search for an app in the Market or App Store and you'll get two versions for a lot of popular apps: the free and paid version. There is NO reason why you would need to do that with Windows Phone. Devs have the ability to implement a 'trial' state of an application where they can do everything and more a 'free' version of an app could. Stop cluttering the Marketplace.
--Redirecting to a website: I once downloaded a sports app that had potential. I opened the app and played around. There was a pivot page that had a section for news. Clicked it...and bam. IE is opening up. Nope, no thank you. I want to use your app now your website.
These are some of the big themes that I've encountered more than I should when playing around with apps. This is not a major problem, but it's there and it really shouldn't be.
Also I'm not trying to put developers down, I know it's hard work and I myself am trying to learn as well. But we should strive for something better.
Alright, sound off with some feedback guys. Any other 'sins against users' I've missed that you encounter? I'd like to see what you think before I write the post on my site.
ALSOOOO.... How about you list some apps that contain these 'sins against users'. That way we can politely invite the developer to hear our thoughts and implement changes that benefit everyone. Happy users = $, $= happy dev.
All these are minor.. My biggest complaint is when push notification is either delayed or doesnt come at all. I've missed some important whatsapp messages cause it was delayed 10 mins.
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
samsabri said:
[...]
--Have both a paid and free version of an app: Do a search for an app in the Market or App Store and you'll get two versions for a lot of popular apps: the free and paid version. There is NO reason why you would need to do that with Windows Phone. Devs have the ability to implement a 'trial' state of an application where they can do everything and more a 'free' version of an app could. Stop cluttering the Marketplace.
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
Marvin_S said:
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Some devs don't mention what the trial offers(time-limited or function-limited) and hence I stay away from such paid apps. Sometimes the trial is fully functional with ads. Agreed that the devs were lazy to not include it in the description, but some users are lazy too. That would be the reason for two versions of the app.
it not being available at all.
or how about it's free on android or ios, but $3 on wp7... wtf?
Marvin_S said:
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
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Yeah, I understand the marketing angle. I guess I live in some fantasy land in my head where the world is clean and organized. Hopefully with the Windows 8 Marketplace offering devs simliliar options in how they can implement trials we'll see less "free" apps because users may come expect every paid app to come with a trial.
svtfmook said:
it not being available at all.
or how about it's free on android or ios, but $3 on wp7... wtf?
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That is something I missed, I how they determine the price difference between platforms?
Off the top of your head, do any apps come to mind where there is a big price difference in platforms? Exclude Xbox Live enabled games for a moment, the reason being I can see the inclusion of achievements, leaderboards, etc to be the cause of the price bump.
I'm in need of a map/location/gps app, that supports offline map caching . while I found couple of them on marketplace, ones that had nice design an functionality, all of them where online only and ones that had offline map caching had terrible design an absolutely no functionality. thats sad
design and functionality should be put first IMO
Inconsistent Resuming and Lack of Tombstoning
Once an app leaves the foreground you have two methods of returning to it: use the app switcher or hitting the tile on your Start screen. Going from the app switcher resumes as expected, but going from the Start screen restarts the app, even if it's already sitting in the background. Now this is probably something Microsoft has to fix, but I feel that if more apps tombstoned, then it could make things more consistent.
samsabri said:
That is something I missed, I how they determine the price difference between platforms?
Off the top of your head, do any apps come to mind where there is a big price difference in platforms? Exclude Xbox Live enabled games for a moment, the reason being I can see the inclusion of achievements, leaderboards, etc to be the cause of the price bump.
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Yes if they would note next to the price tag of each app wheter it contains a Trial version, it is less needed for devs to release a seperate "Lite" version. However the problem is now you have to click the app first than wait until the buttons show up in order to find out wheter an app has a free trial.
This should be there on the big scroll list so a user will see at first glance wheter he/she can try the app for free. At the moment I can't blame dev's for introducing their own workarounds.
But what is more annoying to me is that if devs follow metro design and don't use the margins correctly. Hence the app looks odd in comparison to the native apps, i.e. a lot of chat apps mimick the messaging app but don't pay attention to the margins, the bubble sizes and the bubble alignments, which will make them look very unprofessional. This is sad because they did take the effort to stylize the app like Metro, but they ruined the experience because of not "understanding" the fundamentals of the design language. Which is not just typography but also clever and precise use of margins, shapes and spacings. And since there is not much chrome, every tiny offset or error stands out to a trained eye instantly.
Marvin_S said:
Yes if they would note next to the price tag of each app wheter it contains a Trial version, it is less needed for devs to release a seperate "Lite" version. However the problem is now you have to click the app first than wait until the buttons show up in order to find out wheter an app has a free trial.
This should be there on the big scroll list so a user will see at first glance wheter he/she can try the app for free. At the moment I can't blame dev's for introducing their own workarounds.
But what is more annoying to me is that if devs follow metro design and don't use the margins correctly. Hence the app looks odd in comparison to the native apps, i.e. a lot of chat apps mimick the messaging app but don't pay attention to the margins, the bubble sizes and the bubble alignments, which will make them look very unprofessional. This is sad because they did take the effort to stylize the app like Metro, but they ruined the experience because of not "understanding" the fundamentals of the design language. Which is not just typography but also clever and precise use of margins, shapes and spacings. And since there is not much chrome, every tiny offset or error stands out to a trained eye instantly.
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I think going forward an ideal scenario would be a user expects to have a trial mode for any app that a dev is asking money for. It's a win-win for both consumers and developers. Check out this post from Paul Laberge explaining some of the benefits of a trial mode.
Seems like your second paragraph is echoing the statement to follow metro design language/principles and aim for higher quality control in regards to the design.
It's interesting, I feel like 5 years ago software was all about being functional with no regard to design. Now we not only demand, but expect applications to function well and look beautiful. Exciting times
karan1203 said:
All these are minor.. My biggest complaint is when push notification is either delayed or doesnt come at all. I've missed some important whatsapp messages cause it was delayed 10 mins.
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
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Are those faults of the developer or the platform itself? I ask because I don't know a lot of the technical workings behind the push notification system. My limited knowledge tells me it might be a mix of both parties to blame.
Can anyone clarify?
apps?
For sure about Notifications part.
Push Notification can be useful "ONLY" when you have the phone right in front of your face. Because right after that, they are gone forever.
Second, Push Notification usually have a delay , about a half to 2 mins, from the actual event.
Like my friend can post a thing on my Facebook Wall, and the phone took about 2 mins to update it to the ME title. Same with all other Applications.
I used to try hacking the ROM and Registry of the Phone to reduce the delay of the Title Update. But failed so hard because Microsoft really locked it up hard.
I think most of the annoyances are captured already in the initial post but I'll also add
-That some apps are still being released without mango capability.
-Some apps are just the mobile site (for example the tagged app wtf?)
prohibido_por_la_ley said:
I think most of the annoyances are captured already in the initial post but I'll also add
-That some apps are still being released without mango capability.
-Some apps are just the mobile site (for example the tagged app wtf?)
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I was hoping I'd cover the most obvious complaints, but wanted to reach out and see if anything was missing. Also venting is good for us
And regarding Tagged...? Wow... I just looked at it on the web Marketplace and I won't let something that hideous touch my phone. It's just lazy and doesn't add any value to users or devs. Users get nothing out of it and as a dev what have you accomplished?
Apps like that should not pass certification. It seems draconian, but it's ok for us to demand and expect quality work.
wixostrix said:
...but going from the Start screen restarts the app, even if it's already sitting in the background.
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This is (or was pre-Mango) a requirement to have your app certified. The rules say/said that a user returning to a task via the Back button is trying to complete an interupted task; a user launching the app from Start is starting a new task and shouldn't be presented with abandoned work from earlier.
I have a calculator app that maintains full state across invocations. I was worried that MS would reject the app because it preserved state even upon restarting. They did accept it, though.
Worst thing for me is wasted screen space.
A good example is the official WP7 Facebook app. Go to the "wall" screen, and you have "FACEBOOK" then "Most Recent" then "What's on your mind?" all permanently stuck at the top. Space is also wasted at both sides, meaning that only 50-60% of the screen is actually available to display your friends wall posts.
I thought the idea of Metro is to "put information first", so this is ridiculous. I have a phone with a 3.7" screen, yet the facebook app is more readable on my friends 3" non-widescreen Blackberry.
Aphasaic2002 said:
Worst thing for me is wasted screen space.
A good example is the official WP7 Facebook app. Go to the "wall" screen, and you have "FACEBOOK" then "Most Recent" then "What's on your mind?" all permanently stuck at the top. Space is also wasted at both sides, meaning that only 50-60% of the screen is actually available to display your friends wall posts.
I thought the idea of Metro is to "put information first", so this is ridiculous. I have a phone with a 3.7" screen, yet the facebook app is more readable on my friends 3" non-widescreen Blackberry.
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I hear you on that Facebook app. Thankfully the integration with Windows Phone makes it so that I haven't opened it in months. I check FB once a day on the browser at home before bed, but that's about it.
But I'll chalk this complaint under the 'design abuse' category.
Anyone have any other apps that violate some of our sins in the original post in this thread?
I'd like to see improvements with the sound handeling. Most games have a 'music volume' and a 'FX volume' it seems the volume % is boolean, 0% is silent, 10%-100% is full volume. I'd like to listen to my music while gaming without the Pew Pew causing my ears to bleed
Just thought I'd share this with everyone. For those of you who love chat heads but hate Facebook, this is the perfect alternative. Plus it fits the Nexus 4 aesthetic well. Check it out!
and paid also
With features that mimic what the current Facebook messenger have with less stability and a UI that isn't nearly as uncluttered.
I'll pass on this, as it seems like the developer trying to shill their product, which is against XDA policy with paid apps.
TooSlo said:
With features that mimic what the current Facebook messenger have with less stability and a UI that isn't nearly as uncluttered.
I'll pass on this, as it seems like the developer trying to shill their product, which is against XDA policy with paid apps.
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It actually works very well and is in no way a Dev trying to shill their product on XDA. XDA direct just post every single so under the sun on the Portal.
This app works one hell of a lot better than most, is easy to set up, easy to use, and works perfectly. I went and bought the app in the Play Store because I was so impressed.
Maybe you should check apps out before making comments like that.
Looks cool, but im happy with 'floating notifications' for sms heads.