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Hi,
If someone can explain this to me ...
I found out that there is separation on Android Market, user from certain countries cannot purchase certain apps.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6046360&postcount=4
Why is that?
So, if I am in the UK, I can only purchase apps that are available ONLY for UK market?
I could not think any single reason of this kind of decision will help the customers and the developers.
Why is it not just ONE SINGLE Android Market for EVERYONE?
Well. Nobody really knows. Its very annoying. Its the same story here in Denmark. No paid apps on non-rootet phones with Market enabler.
HTC and google can not give us an answer to why or when paid apps will be availble for us.
Indeed, this is very annoying and I could not think any benefit of it.
I am just wondering, is there anything like this on iPhone? There is in WM, but I believe Microsoft decided to change that on WP7.
I hope Google will change this decission to make Android more attractive to software developers.
I suspect that the country filtering is present for several reasons.
1. Country specific applications. There is no need for an app that only applies to i.e. the UK to be displayed in Asia or in the US.
2. Copyright and trademark issues. Arrangements needs to be done in each country as laws are different.
3. Localization. I assume that Google does not want to add paid apps support in countries not yet fully localized to the local language. This was the case when Android was initially released. The G1 was released in the UK and in the US, and paid apps did not become avaliable until Android had been localized to for example German or French. Once the translations were complete, paid apps followed shortly after.
While Android is currently localized to several other languages, Norwegian included, these translations are far from complete, and needs some additional work.
Hopefully it should not take so long, but hey, who knows.
I will download the localization strings in a short while, and try to perfect them a bit more. After all, Android is open source.
Actually it does make sense for some application to be available in only one country. To give you an example, why would someone in the UK be interested in an application about traffic in Copenhagen? When a developer publishes his app he can chose to make it available for all countries or just for specific countries. Blackberry App World has something like this and I'm not 100% sure but I think the iphone also.
And what if you want go to Copenhagen?
Are free aps also separated or is it just payed ones?
syd2o2 said:
And what if you want go to Copenhagen?
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Click to collapse
Exactly! Also, I don't think copyright would have anything to do with it. AFAIK, it wouldn't matter which country you made your app available to. If it's copyrighted and you disctribute it, you're in trouble.
I can't imagine google getting involved in copyright issues for each and every app. Im pretty sure they would shift liability to the developer/provider in their terms and conditions.
Localisation exists for the following reasons.
1. Language. You can make 1 app that supports all languages, but if there is a lot of text this would cause the app to bloat with unnecessary stuff. simpler to make apps for each language/region.
2. Localisation. The dev may decide there is no point in his app being available outside his particular locale. The first App i noticed this with was to do with the American Presidential elections. Of course I can still see a lot of US specific Transport Apps here in the UK, because the dev has decided it would be worthwile people from other regions having them (holidaymakers for instance).
3. Payment. If you set up an app for worldwide distribution it is priced in your own local currency. If you price an App for a specific region it is priced in that regions currency. This means the price of an app will not fluctuate with exchange rates, which may make people more likely to buy.
I live in Denmark, and as i understand it, the reason why we cannot have the payed apps here are because Google and the telephone companies have not agreed about how the payment modells are to work.
-They both want to big a cut of the cake.
Heh, the funny thing is that Google owns Admob, and their own Adwords service. They essentially makes a lot of money regardless of whether the developer chooses to support it through ads or through direct sales.
I stumbled across this website last night which lists (what looks like) every app on the Android marketplace, along with a QR Code (3D Barcode).
http :// www . cyrket . com
Could this be a workaround to be able to get hold of applications not available in certain countries? It's just that I can't help but notice japanese titles on there with a Yen price next to them.
I've just ordered my Desire today, but have been trying to find out which apps are available - I'm a little annoyed you can't just browse them on the android marketplace website!
Usually the QR code is just for a marketplace search, if it isn't available in your location or phone then you still can't download it.
The only way to bypass this is direct purchase from the developer or downloading the apk to install with an apkinstaller.
Then why there is not any alternative market?
You know, just a website which developer can submit their app there ... accessible via special app from the phone ... do the transaction via web
Like download.com Or cydia for the iPhone?
Microsoft will do it (single unified app market place) with WP7, why not Google? Strange ...
Ah I see, bugger... That's a shame.
Surely it's down to the developer to make it a global rather than a regional app on publishing to the marketplace?
[UPDATED] Android Market Apps I bought for my Hero: Are they "paid for" on my Desire?
Updated April 18, 2010
Now I get it. See Post #6 below. Google's dragging their ass on "fingerprint" approval. They need to be SHAMED virally across the web for sheer incompetence -- or intentional malice toward purchasers of a phone that competes with their Nexus One. "Do No Evil" my ass.
========== My Original Posting =========
I bought maybe 6-7 apps for my hero -- 2 different keyboards, "Executive Assistant", some kind of alarm clock... When on my Hero, even after factory reset and resetting up my phone, when I went to MARKET and "My Downloads", those paid for apps showed up as available to install again on my Hero.
I have been using my Desire -- but thus far only for Wifi as I set it up and get acquainted with the phone. Perhaps stupidly (!) I am still using the Hero as my "phone" til I have all my apps and widgets and layouts replicated on my Desire.
Though I do not have my carrier's SIM card installed in my Desire, 90% of the device works fine, especially all wifi usages, Market downloads, email, web, etc... I did set up my Gmail account as well.
It's one's Gmail account which is your linkage to PAID FOR apps, via Google Checkout. So, I am surprised that when I select "My downloads" i don't see any indication of paid for apps.
Is this tied to a SIM card? (if so seems ridiculous)
RELATED: I can't even find BETTER KEYBOARD app in the Market now, nor "SMART KEYBOARD" ... Does the market auto-filter out apps that do not run on Android 2.1 ?
thank you
the paid apps are tied with your google account.
(no longer relevant)
From what I read, some paid and free apps should appear as soon as google finishes some signature thing related to that! so it's a matter of time.
By the way, do you see paid apps in general? For me, I always had to use Market Enabaler on the Hero to open Market to paid apps.
A temporary solution, you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager. The only limitation here is that you have to keep checking for updates on the Hero.
Re: Android Market > Apps I bought for my Hero: Are they "paid for" on my Desire?
as far as I know, and experts correct me if wrong, the ability to get access are directly connected to the sim from which you connect.
which is why market enabler used to spoof the apn's from which paid apps were available.
with no sim card you should only be able to get free apps or nothing at all.
I live in Sweden, no paid apps.
was at friends last night who has an old UK sim card, popped that in and I got access to some paid apps. but still with the limitations as previously discussed in this forum. (waiting for Google to get it straightened out)
so, yes & no, the apps are tied to your sim, cuz it tells the phone which apn/ network your phone is connecting from...
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
I just read a few other threads, with links to the official Android Market forums. First off, I have to ask some basic vocabulary:
What are "protected apps" ?
I have no idea what this means.
Second: salahag, thanks for your reply. I didn't respond initially because I didn't understand it at all. Paid apps showed up in my Hero from day 1 and that was for me October 2009. I was baffled because I had no context for even thinking "is everything that's available showing here?" because by default my brain had no reason to pose that question. I just assumed the Market worked one way, and I was seeing everything the way everyone else sees it.
I'm suddenly quite baffled by this emerging mystery now that I can't find a bunch of apps for my DESIRE. But now the mystery of "where are my paid apps that I bought on my Hero?" is solved, replaced by "why are hundreds of apps that were available on my Hero not available on my Desire?"
XDA-devs to the rescue, via another thread here about "Missing apps in the Market" linking to this posting in Android Market forums:
by nprussell - 4/8/10 (LINK to this posting at Android Market forums)
Hi all,
I'm an Android developer from the XDA forum & VillainROM.co.uk. I've primarily worked on the Hero, but I received my Desire yesterday.
I can confirm that I too am missing several apps from the market. I also have an answer to your question.
First things first, it's protected apps that are missing from the market. There are generally two reasons why apps will be missing from the market.
(1) When a new ROM/Phone is released, the manufacturer, in this case HTC, sends the build to Google, which includes a 'Fingerprint' (a unique line of text which governs its market access) in the build.prop file. Generally, it states the name of the phone and Android version in the fingerprint. With Root & system write access, this fingerprint can easily be changed... but we don't have that luxury right now.
Once Google approve the build, the fingerprint will be added to their allowed database to view protected apps on the market.
(2) The other cause for apps missing from the market in builds (such as twidroid, layar, barcode scanner etc) is that these apps require permissions to use the camera/auto focus. They are NOT protected apps. If the XML permission files are missing from system/etc/permissions, then Google Market will simply block these apps from showing.
So again... to answer your question... we'll see the protected apps as soon as either:
a) HTC chase up Google
b) Google get around to activating the fingerprint
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Un-frikkin-believable.
It's like the equivalence of a dumb low-IQ bureaucrat holding up a long line for Drivers' License renewals at the "Department of Motor Vehicles". No reason at all for the stupid delay other than some asshole letting some work order sit on his desktop til he feels like getting to it.
No wonder the author (gogol) of that other related thread recommends consumer activism or we just stand in line each time and just wait to get ****'d in the ass by beaurocratic process that sounds WAY more like Microsoft than "the smartest guys in the room" at Google -- who pride themselves on only hiring Ivy-league grads and equivalents, like from Stanford. They ought to be ridiculed out of town with this.
gogol writes: I really cannot believe Google screws this great Android platform like this. Think about the next firmware update, from Google or HTC ... We will AGAIN get this issue ... Then wait again very long. I am really mad and hate this.
If one of you guys is capable of writing a good professional article or blog regarding this issue, we could spread the voice all over the internet / twitter / facebook / blogs / news so Google could "end" or "fix" this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm game to SHAME GOOGLE into getting their f-ing act together or be ridiculed for incompetence -- everywhere we can post that message on the web. And they have the nerve to criticize APPLE for their ridiculous App Store totalitarianism?
.
xrrkrrkx said:
I live in Sweden, no paid apps. Was at friends last night who has an old UK sim card, popped that in and I got access to some paid apps. but still with the limitations as previously discussed in this forum. (waiting for Google to get it straightened out)
so, yes & no, the apps are tied to your sim, cuz it tells the phone which apn/ network your phone is connecting from...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you clarify this further. Thank you for information related to SIM card needing to be in use in order to access paid apps -- god only knows why -- it's retarded to me.
But is it correct that I have read other places that there are LOCALIZATION ISSUES? where some apps are only available to certain regions? (Like YouTube does) -- Or can you shoot that one down as rumor. I don't get this. Open source OS. Google's entire revenue model based on ads. More phones = more ad impressions = more money to Google. What possible motivation is there to block access to apps in a marketplace that I am willing to pay for -- where Google gets % of all sales, as well as transactional revenue thru Google Checkout? -- Something doesn't make sense. And usually when that's the case, SOMEONE IS BEING PROTECTED in some corporate deal.
What's the story. Is this another CARRIER-TAINTED example of holding customers hostage? If so, I can't wait til the day we can blow up that Carrier-driven model that strangles the free marketplace. They should make it or break it based on direct delivery of services at competitive pricing. I am so tired of Boardroom Protectionist Policies agreed to by major competitors, to ensure a baseline profit well above anything deserved if there was open competition. ... But I could be off on my little side rant and it has nothing to do with this issue, in which case, .... ooops. sorry
salahag said:
From what I read, some paid and free apps should appear as soon as google finishes some signature thing related to that! so it's a matter of time.
By the way, do you see paid apps in general? For me, I always had to use Market Enabaler on the Hero to open Market to paid apps.
A temporary solution, you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager. The only limitation here is that you have to keep checking for updates on the Hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks - I never even thought to do this. Rooted my Hero, copied the apks (they're in /data/app-private) to the Desire and installed. I now have National Rail and Locale Lockscreen back again
Ta.
you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to ask: Is Root Explorer an app from the Market (I'll check of course), and does it only work on rooted Heroes? Mine is unrooted. But I have used Astro app many times for moving stuff from my computer to Hero, and now my Desire. So, it would just be a matter of my knowing which folder/directory to look in on my Hero to access the .apk files.
(EDIT: I see now from daern above: they're in /data/app-private ... well Astro Explorer shows me root folder and data folder but both say "directory is empty", so I am guessing unless I root my Hero i can't access this stuff... right?)
So, thanks from ME also!
Easy. Install "InstantRook.apk" on the Hero (Google for it, download directly to the device and run from Astro).
Once installed, it will announce "your device is rooted". Now fire up Root Explorer and note that you can see the /data folder. Copy the private apk files to /sdcard and away you go.
It really is as easy as that. It may stuff your Hero (it didn't affect mine in the slightest) but as I'm assuming that you're replacing it anyway, the worst it would require would be a hard-boot anyway.
Took < 5 mins
I just switched for a tiny (3" screen) and slow (Leo ROM with WM 6.5.x) Xperia X1 to a more powerful HD7. Nice OS indeed, but there are lots of things that I really miss:
1 on the old phone I used to flash new ROMs very often. I had some CABs in the SD that could be restored in seconds with a few clicks, so after flash all my apps were ready for use. If I'm not wrong, this is not feasible anymore since CAB installation is not available on WP7 and (correct me if I'm wrong) Zune software is always needed;
2 all audio and video files are immediately avalable to view since the phone stores them in its own way (i.e. cannot save them in a specific folder, and open them in the old File/Open way); what if I have some *strictly personal* audio or video file I want to keep secret ?
3 no GPS navigation software still available (I used iGO8 very very often) an nothing foreseen yet;
4 apps marketplace is ridiculous, but I hope that software houses will start converting theis apps very soon (I really miss SPB Wallet and Opera).
5 SD card...well we all know enough about that
Anyone aware of some kind of improvement for what above ?
Thanks
S
Came from an iPhone and then Nexus one. What i really really miss is the ability to buy apps from the marketplace since i live in an unsupported place and hence, a non-US credit card. iPhone had support for my country, while market enabler and google checkout solved that for android.
You can always use a UK/US Live account.
yes i have a US live account, but it still will not accept my credit card, a Mastercard. It says that it can't be authorized, and a lot of people also have that problem because their credit cards are non-US. My credit card is still active though, checked and doubled checked. Just used it to purchase a few items from ebay using paypal and also groceries yesterday.
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.
[...]
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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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
PREMISE
see mockup attachment. fyi, some minor details are left out to protect the premise.
the purpose of the app is to create a countdown clock. and we intend to have different sponsors.
FRONT-END REQUIREMENTS
when the clock expires, it will have beep and vibrate.
to make money, when someone brings up the app on their phone, they would see a coupon from a sponsor company. and upon the launch screen, if the person likes the coupon, they can request to have it e-mailed to them. there's two options to have at this point. a) the app sends me (the app business owner) an e-mail confirming that this individual has requested this coupon. and I'll e-mail it to them whenever I get a chance [but this could get messy if there is a ton of users] b) the app somehow automatically send an e-mail right then and there to the individual [this could be a Day 2 project].
regardless of whether or not the visitor has requested the coupon e-mailed to them, when they click the "ENTER APP" button, they should be transferred to the APP SCREEN.
BACK-END REQUIREMENTS
a. we will NOT store any customer data or e-mails or anything else. we will simply generate a one-time e-mail to that address and that's it.
b. we would like to track a) how many downloads so we can tell potential sponsors b) how often people use the app and how long it's open on their phone for.
c. needs to work on android, IOS and windows phones. we do not care about tablets or computers. smart phones users will be 99% of our audience.
d. we need some sort of back-end or web interface where I can enter in new sponsor names, logos and coupons.
QUESTIONS
1. I'm not going to learn to build this myself. i have no knowledge of how to build one and don't have the time to learn. i plan to hire an overseas freelancer through odesk.com. what program should I ask they use to build this? I've heard terms like swift, xcode, ruby on rails, twitter bootstrap, etc… ideally, is there one go-to popular program that creates a cross-platform compatible app? my fear is that if I have to drop a programmer in the middle of the project and pick up another, will the new person be able to pickup where the last guy left off?
2. how would I go about changing the coupons? and changing the sponsor banner ads? would there need to be some sort of web interface? would I need to purchase a website and hosting account and have some functionality built there? is there some dashboard somewhere else?
3. how big scale a project is this? roughly how many hours should this take a COMPETENT app developer? seems to me like one of the most basic apps you could build but what do I know.
4. at what point does an app get submitted to google play? apple store? windows whatever they have? or do I even need those entities or could I just let people somehow download it from a website? if so, what would I be missing out by not getting it listed under those marketplaces?
5. anything else I have not thought about that I should be aware of?
please advise. thanks in advance!!!
sixrfan said:
PREMISE
see mockup attachment. fyi, some minor details are left out to protect the premise.
the purpose of the app is to create a countdown clock. and we intend to have different sponsors.
FRONT-END REQUIREMENTS
when the clock expires, it will have beep and vibrate.
to make money, when someone brings up the app on their phone, they would see a coupon from a sponsor company. and upon the launch screen, if the person likes the coupon, they can request to have it e-mailed to them. there's two options to have at this point. a) the app sends me (the app business owner) an e-mail confirming that this individual has requested this coupon. and I'll e-mail it to them whenever I get a chance [but this could get messy if there is a ton of users] b) the app somehow automatically send an e-mail right then and there to the individual [this could be a Day 2 project].
regardless of whether or not the visitor has requested the coupon e-mailed to them, when they click the "ENTER APP" button, they should be transferred to the APP SCREEN.
BACK-END REQUIREMENTS
a. we will NOT store any customer data or e-mails or anything else. we will simply generate a one-time e-mail to that address and that's it.
b. we would like to track a) how many downloads so we can tell potential sponsors b) how often people use the app and how long it's open on their phone for.
c. needs to work on android, IOS and windows phones. we do not care about tablets or computers. smart phones users will be 99% of our audience.
d. we need some sort of back-end or web interface where I can enter in new sponsor names, logos and coupons.
QUESTIONS
1. I'm not going to learn to build this myself. i have no knowledge of how to build one and don't have the time to learn. i plan to hire an overseas freelancer through odesk.com. what program should I ask they use to build this? I've heard terms like swift, xcode, ruby on rails, twitter bootstrap, etc… ideally, is there one go-to popular program that creates a cross-platform compatible app? my fear is that if I have to drop a programmer in the middle of the project and pick up another, will the new person be able to pickup where the last guy left off?
2. how would I go about changing the coupons? and changing the sponsor banner ads? would there need to be some sort of web interface? would I need to purchase a website and hosting account and have some functionality built there? is there some dashboard somewhere else?
3. how big scale a project is this? roughly how many hours should this take a COMPETENT app developer? seems to me like one of the most basic apps you could build but what do I know.
4. at what point does an app get submitted to google play? apple store? windows whatever they have? or do I even need those entities or could I just let people somehow download it from a website? if so, what would I be missing out by not getting it listed under those marketplaces?
5. anything else I have not thought about that I should be aware of?
please advise. thanks in advance!!!
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Hi i have read your long query,The app which you described and checking out the mockups seems to be pretty less complicated and i will give you some answers for it.
1) The best thing to do is make an app in popular cross platform frameworks better use html5 frameworks such a sencha touch,jquery mobile etc with phonegap. Look for developers in this category.
2)Changing the banner ads and coupons is simple.Just host that in your server,app will load those ads and banners whens it loads for the first time ,we can refresh the content later by periodic service calls
3) its a small scale project .Just building the app alone will take atmost 30 hours including creating for 3 platforms and excluding testing.
4) its always better to upload the apps their respecttive stores.Apple wont allow apps to sideload fro other sources.For getting listed on those stores you need to get developer licenses 100$ for apple store,25$ for google play store etc
5)Just be aware that the app should work on all ost of the devices ,gives timely updates etc
also you can track the number of downloads from the respective stores,also you can include some analaytic sdk like flurry etc to get the details like "how often people use the app and how long it's open on their phone for".
i am an Cross platform app developer.If you are interested we can talk in Pm. hope i helped