Comments on: Are Developers over-reacting to App Store rules?

By: switch11

switch11 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:26:14 +0000

You do have a point there. There need to be a clearer standard and it needs to be applied fairly and evenly.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:08:33 +0000

I have no problem with anything Apple is doing, EXCEPT for the hypocricy.

When an app that I spend ALL my time and money creating gets rejected which has FAR LESS levels of “questionable content” (as defined by apple) than an app that has already been approved, that’s what pisses me off completely.

If they were more consistant, then it wouldn’t be an issue.

By: Max Ahn

Max Ahn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:11:52 +0000

Well thought-out article.

However, I agree with Adam S’s point above that it is a big deal if high-profile developers are leaving.

People wouldn’t care less if small-time developers with no notable apps are leaving in droves. But it’s the handful of high-profile developers that put out high-quality apps that forms the actual backbone and raisin d’etat of Apple’s App Store.

If enough these developers leave, I seriously doubt anyone would want to use App Store anymore.

So while “3 defections” don’t sound like much in terms of numbers, it may be a bigger deal since they were well-known developers.

By: Sebastian

Sebastian — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:54:46 +0000

With all due respect, there is so much wrong in your article that I don’t know where to begin?

Developers should be thankful to Apple for giving them 70%?

Developers are leaving the platform because they don’t like being treated like “ungrateful kids”. You calling them “ungrateful” just reinforces the point.

And it’s not about the percentage… many developers leaving the platform where doing free apps. It’s about getting respect, about a company abusing a position of power and strongarming their partners.

It’s like telling a beaten wife that she should be grateful her husband pays the bills.

By: Adam S

Adam S — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:41:46 +0000

You are missing the big deal about the iphone. By itself it isn’t that big of a deal. With apps it is. So you want good apps.

Many of the complainers are not the small free apps but the large development houses that produce fairly good quality apps.

The abitrariness is really important. If developers don’t know what is going to get through or not, they are going to put their time in other markets. Worldwide, the iphone is still fairly small. Yes it is fairly big in app sales but many of those apps are near zero.

I have been buying apps for a decade with PDAs and Windows Phones. Some are free but many are in the $10 to 15 range. So there can be a higher profit on other platforms.

Developers don’t want to walk away from Apple because it is a good model. But if Apple doesn’t get their admission and review process cleaned up then there will be more high profile developers leaving. And that is exactly what is needed for Apple to pay attention to the process.