No doubt Internet had democratised research by allowing everyone access to lots of information (including info and access to applications), but I dont think we are anywhere close to having the tools to analysing the vast amount of information made available nowadays to figure out which the best one for me is.
Blackberry 9900 Bold
I remember reading somewhere that there is actually an initiative from top companies to train people in colleges on analysis, by providing access to supercomputers etc to encourage research in this area..

“Walmart is much more structured and organized so at least you know which aisle to go looking for say ‘milk’.”

So are app store’s categories. I agree they are more like departments in Walmart than aisles.

“Besides, in Walmart, you know what you’re looking for. In the appstore, a lot of the times you may not.”

This can be true for a regular store as well. Say, you might be shopping for a birthday present for a friend.

“Its finding the hidden gems that get lost in the mess becomes a nightmare.”

In my opinion, it is the problem with the creators of the hidden gems. They should be able to market the apps to top 10 level if the app is 1) good 2) has a huge market. An SSH Terminal app can never be in top 10 paid or free as the market for it is not large enough.

I don’t think these apps should be banned from the store, but Apple should come up with more entry points to find newer or less popular apps and perhaps improve their algorithms (ratings/uninstalls?) for personalized app discovery (as mentioned in other comments). The bottom line is that users download/buy these “crap” apps which helps make $ for Apple.

And the number of “85+K apps” *is* a marketing-wise selling point for the iPhone/iPod Touch irrespective of how many of them are useful or not.

Let’s take the hypothetical case that only sane and useful apps are allowed, but there are 15 different note-taking apps and so on, now you have the problem of deciding which one to buy without getting a trial (ignoring the Lite workaround), how to solve this problem now?

Ultimately, the user has to search for what he wants. If he wants to track what are the best apps, then he has to visit http://www.148apps.com just like people use IMDB for movies and so on.

I think a fresh/innovative approach is needed to create a logical framework for a) app discovery and b) app preview. This might require mining existing information ( text/pictures/videos) to create a new kind of user experience. We at mobikwik.com have just started on this problem and would love to hear from interested folks!

Imagine the appstore a year down the lane – if there are 85K apps at this time, and such lame apps keep making their way into the app store — sifting through the mess would be even more of a problem.

If there would be some amazing recommendation software (the apple genius is kinda ok) that would suggest new apps based on my preferences / app installation history then i wouldnt care less about fart apps or whatever.

Its business, so they will offer something that really sells and makes money.

Since you are not new to the startup thing, you may well be knowing that that are many startups that have better products than their most popular and best-selling counterparts.

Just because Windows or Apple or Gmail is extremely popular, it does not mean that there is no OS that is better than Windows or Mac, or that Gmail is the best email app ever.

Retailers fill their shelves with something that sells, irrespective of their perception about the value offered by the product.

I doubt if what you say is a “real” issue.

topic of discussion isnt whether iphone is a great device or not – its about the appstore and the quality of apps making through to the marketplace.

its no way similar to the Internet. Internet is an open system – the appstore is a closed system and apple is the gatekeeper — so they have control on who makes it through the gates and who doesnt.

>>1) Browse top 10 paid, free & apple featured apps

I guess thats what most users do – but over a short period of time, these lists dont change that drastically. Its finding the hidden gems that get lost in the mess becomes a nightmare.

>>Walmart has a ton of items that you don’t need and >>think are ridiculus, but that doesn’t mean you stop >>shopping at Walmart. You go there to buy what you >>need and that’s it.

The analogy doesnt make sense – Walmart is much more structured and organized so at least you know which aisle to go looking for say ‘milk’. Besides, in Walmart, you know what you’re looking for. In the appstore, a lot of the times you may not.

I do not agree with this article, I think Apple is
blocking more apps than it should just because they provide alternates to its basic functionality. Case and point, Google Voice, I’ve been amazed at what Google voice can do only to be disappointed by Apple for rejecting it. I know its a big controversy that the FCC is looking at and hopefully will resolve.

But then I must say, I love the iPhone and can never understand how people go by without it (You wont believe how many times I hit double-space to get a full-stop ). It makes you wonder why it took so many years for someone to come up with something this. Of course there will be competitors and imitators to iPhone, but it will always be the FIRST.

No doubt Internet had democratised research by allowing everyone access to lots of information (including info and access to applications), but I dont think we are anywhere close to having the tools to analysing the vast amount of information made available nowadays to figure out which the best one for me is.

I remember reading somewhere that there is actually an initiative from top companies to train people in colleges on analysis, by providing access to supercomputers etc to encourage research in this area..

1) Browse top 10 paid, free & apple featured apps
2) search for something specifc when I need it. Mostly productive/utility apps.

There are a lot of people who like the fart apps and pay for them, not that I understand why, but they do pay.

Walmart has a ton of items that you don’t need and think are ridiculus, but that doesn’t mean you stop shopping at Walmart. You go there to buy what you need and that’s it.