Is anyone else not really concerned about WP8 app count?

[barne19801]

Im new to windows phone and the first thing you notice going into the app market is a big lack of first party apps on the first scroll as i would call it. On the iphone you can scroll 3 or 4 times before hitting the unknowns. Android is usually the second scroll and wp you don't even have to scroll most of the time. It isn't the number off apps particularly, if we had 150,000 quality's apps and nothing else it would be overkill and we would be better than ios or android. You need enough to satisfy a spectrum of people, that's why you need more than we have even if its not 300,000 or 600,000.

 

[derDaniel]

App Count = 98% kiddie noob apps + 2% significant good qualtiy apps

if there are just those 2% accessable I am completly fulfilled.

So I don't and never did care about count of apps.

Just search for facebook, flashligght or soundboard etc and you will find 70+ apps.

 

[freestaterocker]

Im new to windows phone and the first thing you notice going into the app market is a big lack of first party apps on the first scroll as i would call it. On the iphone you can scroll 3 or 4 times before hitting the unknowns. Android is usually the second scroll and wp you don't even have to scroll most of the time. It isn't the number off apps particularly, if we had 150,000 quality's apps and nothing else it would be overkill and we would be better than ios or android. You need enough to satisfy a spectrum of people, that's why you need more than we have even of its not 300,000 or 600,000.

This is an excellent point in favor of the app count argument. I have a cousin who works on smartphone apps for the company he works for (IOS division. They have separate small teams for each OS) and he told me they are "looking into" developing an app for WP8. They've already got an Android 4.2 optimized app (and one for gingerbread) and "aren't bothering" with blackberry. At least we aren't the bottom of the barrel anymore, but still fairly back-of-the-bus. :|

 

[Louis Lau]

In the near future they will be able to port more apps from iOS and android and reminder when apple phones came out there wasn't a lot of apps too. Also I do agree that Quality is better over quantity. Things take time to thrive.

 

[David Tomilson]

Sure, I could use some key apps for my Windows Phone 8 Lumia 920. VLC is on the way and Pidgin is working on an RT client - maybe they will port that to WP?

 

[etphoto]

Same discussions went on over at the WebOS board. There are many out there that use the app count as a reason to choose an OS. My nieghbor was one of them. Every week she'd be showing me some new app she downloaded. "It is sooo cool." After a few months I pointed out to her there is no way she could be using all these apps she found; there weren't enough hours in the day. Not sure she understood. Anyways, there will always be a few out there that like a large app count. However, I think the majority aren't looking at the numbers.

 

[cuzincurly]

Not realy bothered by it. I only miss instagram just because I have an account in it and probably vlc player which might be coming soon

 

[Oliver Newell]

I personally think it a pathetic argument for someone to chose android/iPhone purely because of how many apps there are in their stores. Most of them a **** quality anyways that crash and /or freeze your phone, and what with androids track record for maleware and hacking . . . .
Besides which Marketplace for Microsoft is getting more and more apps by the day. It already has something like 60,000, I bet android didn't have as many at 2 year old. And also the apps on marketplace generally are of a higher quality. Besides all that i don't know of any app on any app store that can genuinely make of break a phone. A lot of them are useless.

 

[X0LARIUM]

Remember a time when there were no apps at all? There were games and that's about it. The Apple came kicking a huge storm of this alien idea of "Apps". Cut to today. I have a FLAGSHIP Motorola DROID RAZR. I use abuot 4 apps in total that can be counted on finger tips.

1. Currency Converter
2. Dictionary
3. Twitter
4. What'sApp
5. Flipboard

And iReader for books sometimes. That's about it. Like the OP very very rightly said "I just want the phone to make my life easier, not take over my life." That is precisely my point of view.

 

[Chregu]

Even if you don't want apps, you still want them in your ecosystem for one simple reason: Other people want to have these apps.

Now, why would you care about people you have never met, hipsters who you couldn't care less about? You simply don't. But you care about your system, about your OS, about services and features and updates. And all of this will be better and come faster, if more people buy into the system.

Do I need a Facebook app with all the features and functions? No I don't, I'm not on Facebook. Do I need a Pandora app? I don't even know what it is doing. Do I need Instagram? I find this 'make your picture worse and share them with people who don't really care'-thing the most stupid idea ever. But do I want these apps on Windows Phone? Yes, I do so very much, for the above reason.

 

[omniusovermind]

It doesn't really matter if some people don't care about the app count. What matters is whether most people do. Do most people care? If they don't, then there should be no reason why WP8 doesn't sell as many phones as iPhones and Androids this year. Right? If not, then I guess you'll have the answer.

 

[Dave Blake]

It doesn't really matter if some people don't care about the app count. What matters is whether most people do. Do most people care? If they don't, then there should be no reason why WP8 doesn't sell as many phones as iPhones and Androids this year. Right? If not, then I guess you'll have the answer.

I think there might be other factors involved in quantity of devices sold. I would say that investment in ecosystem, availability of devices (Spec Wars), sales reps opinions, even things like WIFI tethering being free when hacked on Android device, their are many more and they all play a part in device sales. Saying that if people don't buy WP's its just because of apps is an unrealistic view. IMHO

 

[Mike_J]

I need Adobe PDF Reader ASAP

Microsoft version is very basic

 

[rockstarzzz]

I need Adobe PDF Reader ASAP

Microsoft version is very basic

Adobe PDF was even worse with WP7.5
Be glad you've Microsoft one.

 

[omniusovermind]

I think there might be other factors involved in quantity of devices sold. I would say that investment in ecosystem, availability of devices (Spec Wars), sales reps opinions, even things like WIFI tethering being free when hacked on Android device, their are many more and they all play a part in device sales. Saying that if people don't buy WP's its just because of apps is an unrealistic view. IMHO

I agree with you, although investment in ecosystem is somewhat tied to that. Given that a goodly portion of discussion is apps, apps, and apps though it does get a lot of attention.

 

[AngryNil]

If you think about it, the "app problem" can likely be solved in around 100 apps. Chances are that all the apps that the pundits bounce around as vital and important are around that mark. If you then move to a global focus and include a bunch of local apps, I really do think it takes less than a few thousand apps to make everyone happy. Honestly, Microsoft needs to start tossing the money around, really. I think if it contacted a lot of these local companies and services and offered to pay for development costs, they'd do it. It might be hard persuading Instagram and Flipboard over, fine. Leave them, flesh out the rest of the ecosystem and apps such as those will grow or be ported over organically.

Get the essentials there - that means services that actually mean something, not a photo ******ing app.

 

[socialcarpet]

I'm not concerned. App count is meaningless. I care about which apps we have and the general quality of the apps, not how many fart apps and useless Chinese bikini girl apps we have to bloat up the app count.

I have virtually everything I need and want in the apps department right now with the exception of Citrix Receiver, which is coming before too long now.

I'm all set. Luckily I don't use Instagram and I don't necessarily need whatever Zynga game is trending this week. My only interest in seeing that kind of stuff and seeing a high app count is that it can attract new users to the platform.

 

[socialcarpet]

I need Adobe PDF Reader ASAP

Microsoft version is very basic

It works for me and its pretty fast for a phone app.

What functionality are you looking for that it doesn't offer?

 

[socialcarpet]

Like the OP very very rightly said "I just want the phone to make my life easier, not take over my life." That is precisely my point of view.

You sound like a perfect candidate for Windows Phone then. Your thinking is right in line with the design philosophy of WP.

 

[lfjj]

I couldn't care less. I got all the apps that I need and the count is steady growing.