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App Stores are much more likely to be a viable business for an already-successful technology company with a well-known brand. Speaking from personal experience

by jdrock 17y ago

App Stores are much more likely to be a viable business for an already-successful technology company with a well-known brand. Speaking from personal experience, App Stores don't work very well for smaller companies with a smaller customer base. An App Store is going to require a developer to learn a unique instruction set. The incentive for most developers to do this is to earn money from the company's customers. If the company is small and has a small base (even if it is growing), it's difficult to attract a lot of developers. The hurdle of learning the instruction set + the low potential of earning substantial revenue is not that interesting.

bad_user 17y ago
People should look at the Android Market. While the platform is backed by a strong brand, has big potential and it's open enough ... not too many developers have jumped in. This may change once Android phones are popular enough and there's a story of someone getting rich in one month, working in his spare time. The article does have a point ... the web eliminates distribution costs and the need for middle-men. That was one strong incentive for web-apps happening. Unfortunately, with big software houses (like Google and Yahoo) making great apps available mostly for free to regular users ... people became accustomed to free stuff on the web. As a result, there are few online businesses that are profitable. Even so, phones are becoming more and more like regular laptops ... and in time, more open, since that's inevitable (App Stores being artificial restrictions).
- jdrock 17y ago
  Perhaps an additional requirement is good marketing from the App Store company. Apple aggressively markets the iPhone App Store. I don't see Google doing the same. iPhone Apps are a big success because they are "top of mind" for the general population. Android apps, not so much. I am sure most people have no idea what Android is or that there is an app market for it.

by jdrock 17y ago

bad_user 17y ago

People should look at the Android Market. While the platform is backed by a strong brand, has big potential and it's open enough ... not too many developers have jumped in. This may change once Android phones are popular enough and there's a story of someone getting rich in one month, working in his spare time. The article does have a point ... the web eliminates distribution costs and the need for middle-men. That was one strong incentive for web-apps happening. Unfortunately, with big software houses (like Google and Yahoo) making great apps available mostly for free to regular users ... people became accustomed to free stuff on the web. As a result, there are few online businesses that are profitable. Even so, phones are becoming more and more like regular laptops ... and in time, more open, since that's inevitable (App Stores being artificial restrictions).

jdrock 17y ago
Perhaps an additional requirement is good marketing from the App Store company. Apple aggressively markets the iPhone App Store. I don't see Google doing the same. iPhone Apps are a big success because they are "top of mind" for the general population. Android apps, not so much. I am sure most people have no idea what Android is or that there is an app market for it.