Lack of Apps: The Deal Breaker

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Doohickie

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Oh, and... I'm not really putting this out there to bash anyone (although I'm sure it could be taken that way). I put it out there just in the interest of essentially a market data point. If you want to know why more people don't adopt WP, I think THIS IS IT: lack of apps.
 

JMBasquiat

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Your... newspaper? Is there anything in particular you get from that newspaper that you can't get from USA Today, NBC News, or even Fox News?

I don't mean to convince you to stay because frankly, I don't really care about this "I'm leaving because they don't have an app to control my toaster" phenomena, but some of the stuff you mentioned it extremely specific and not at all a deal breaker for the majority.
 

11B1P

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Actually it is a catch 22. Companies won't produce apps without users. Users won't switch to WP because a lack of apps. Personally, I'm not an app *****. I use some key apps regularly. Anything else I have my Surface Pro to use and a computer or two at work to use. The complaint about lack of apps is overblown, especially when you consider the overly abundant availability of access to a computer.
 

Doohickie

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Your... newspaper? Is there anything in particular you get from that newspaper that you can't get from USA Today, NBC News, or even Fox News?

I don't mean to convince you to stay because frankly, I don't really care about this "I'm leaving because they don't have an app to control my toaster" phenomena, but some of the stuff you mentioned it extremely specific and not at all a deal breaker for the majority.

It *is* a deal breaker for the majority. Maybe my local newspaper isn't important to you and I don't really care, but it's just the accumulation of all these apps- there's a lot of stuff out there that I can't access easily through my phone. I checked and the only apps I have on my phone for things that I used before getting my phone are Pandora, Facebook and American Airlines. I have a newspaper subscription that comes with a free reader app that I can't use. I have a car that comes with a free app for maintenance, scheduling, etc. that I can't use. I have a warehouse store membership with a free app that I can't use. I have a bank with a free banking app I can't use. The whole world is connected through apps, but I can't use them.

Then there are the apps where, yes, there are alternates, but they aren't the apps I would prefer to use. Things like Strava for cycling, Google for searching, Youtube, Intellicast., etc. Sure I can use Runtastic, Bing, some hokie 3rd party Youtube viewer, Accuweather, etc. But if had Android I could use all the site apps *I* prefer, not something new that I have to get accustomed to.

The funny thing is that part of the reason I went with WP was that I thought the familiarity with Windows would be an asset. It is, kind of, and when I get an update for my home computer that has a OS version later than Win7 there will be more commonality, but it's getting the point that the options that I *don't* have are bothering me more than the bother of learning a new OS.

I understand the Catch 22 and I will gladly stay withe WP for my next phone if the apps are there, but if they're not there, I think I'll see what the alternative is like. If WP really is that superior, I can come back, but I suspect that I'll be happier if I have more apps available to me.

And sorry, but lack of app availability is *NOT* overblown. Not to me. If I want to be able to use all these apps and they are available on Android but not WP, then why wouldn't I at least try Android? It's survival of the fittest, and the WP app world isn't very fit right now.
 

GSOgymrat

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I am generally okay with the current available apps for Windows Phone but I don't like missing out on the latest tech. My latest disappointment is Moov, which is coming out exclusively for Apple devices with Android months down the road... and Windows not mentioned at all. It looks awesome if it works as advertised.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExhD6UWEV8I
 

tgp

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It *is* a deal breaker for the majority. Maybe my local newspaper isn't important to you and I don't really care, but it's just the accumulation of all these apps- there's a lot of stuff out there that I can't access easily through my phone. I checked and the only apps I have on my phone for things that I used before getting my phone are Pandora, Facebook and American Airlines. I have a newspaper subscription that comes with a free reader app that I can't use. I have a car that comes with a free app for maintenance, scheduling, etc. that I can't use. I have a warehouse store membership with a free app that I can't use. I have a bank with a free banking app I can't use. The whole world is connected through apps, but I can't use them.

WP is not for everybody. If these apps are important, then it's clearly not for you. Don't apologize; there's nothing wrong with that. That's why there are 4 major smartphone OS's available.
 

Qiyamata

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I think more people don't adopt WP is because mostly teens parents are buying them mostly iOS and Androids because those tweenie babies have to have Instagram apps and others alike. God I hate always seeing females post the most ridiculous things. I'm a WP user for life now. It's seamless and just works for what I want it to.
 

meddyrainzo

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WP is not for everybody. If these apps are important, then it's clearly not for you. Don't apologize; there's nothing wrong with that. That's why there are 4 major smartphone OS's available.

If this keeps up, WPs marketshare would never increase and WP would just die. They need apps to survive. Simple! Even MS knows this that's why they are going through everything to get apps on their platform
 

ttsoldier

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Oh, and... I'm not really putting this out there to bash anyone (although I'm sure it could be taken that way). I put it out there just in the interest of essentially a market data point. If you want to know why more people don't adopt WP, I think THIS IS IT: lack of apps.

And if you want to know why apps aren't coming... look in the mirror..
 

evilrob

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Before I switched to Windows Phone, I had an iPhone. When iOS 7 turned up I deleted all my apps with the intention of installing only the ones I actually needed. Net result: I didn't reinstall anything.

E-mail, web browsing, Facebook, camera, and RSS feed reader and the odd game - that's all I need. I've since found I prefer the way Windows Phone does things - especially the deep Facebook/Twitter integration - people hub, etc.

I've found alternatives for anything else I found myself thinking I needed (Instagram - 6tag, Vine - 6sec, etc.) - but I've found I hardly ever use them, just like I hardly ever used them on iOS either.
 

snowmutt

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First off, if anyone thinks Doohickie is "part of the problem", "is just whining", or some other argument that implies he is just kicking dirt on an established short-coming of WP, you haven't read his other posts, and you are not reading his thread. Do not let his chicken throw you off: This guy is serious. (Actually, Doohickie, the chicken thing is kinda your own fault, but no matter. :smile:)

It doesn't matter what the majority of us in this forum think, only what each person thinks. I read an article on recruitment once where the recruiting coordinator at the University of Auburn was fighting hard to get a kid to come to play football there. He said he really thought he had him, only to lose him out to a school up north (he didn't say which one). When he called the kid to follow up, he asked him why he picked this school over Auburn, the kid said that they had a soft serve ice cream machine in the Athletic dorm and Auburn didn't.

Did he complain about how that was over rated? That the School caferteria had it, so there was no reason to use that as an excuse? Tell the kid he was part of the problem because he didn't come to them to ask for one? Nope. He got Auburn to put in a stinking soft-serve ice cream machine so he wouldn't lose anyother kid for the same reason.

I agree that MS, and Nokia for that matter, have done a pretty good job growing the app selections to over 300,000 in 4 years. But you are fighting 2 OS's with 1,000,000 (Dr. Evil accent) selections. It isn't important that we don't see it as a deal breaker, so many others do. I have written to maybe a dozen or more companies to see if they would create a WP app for their service, but so far none of those dozen or so companies have. The fact there is no PayPal or Square credit card reader app is why my wife now has an Android. The lack of a bank app is why my friends entire family are now on iOS. The fact that Marvel and DC Comics do not have an app is why my sons friend crossed WP off his list about a year ago.

It is a deal breaker. It is the norm. Apps are expected. Saying we are fine without them doesn't help at all. Because it isn't about us, it is about Doohickie and users like him that would love or do love WP if only thet had this app or that app or that other app.
 

JMBasquiat

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It *is* a deal breaker for the majority.

No it isn't.

Then there are the apps where, yes, there are alternates, but they aren't the apps I would prefer to use. Things like Strava for cycling, Google for searching, Youtube, Intellicast., etc. Sure I can use Runtastic, Bing, some hokie 3rd party Youtube viewer, Accuweather, etc. But if had Android I could use all the site apps *I* prefer, not something new that I have to get accustomed to.

Wait, I thought you said this was your first smartphone? How do you know that Strava is the best cycling app out there? You can use Google for searching, either through the system by changing preferences or through the official Google app. Intellicast is a virtually unknown app compared to Weather.com, AccuWeather, etc. YouTube works just fine, but if you say you prefer the official one, then that's a matter of preference.


And sorry, but lack of app availability is *NOT* overblown. Not to me. If I want to be able to use all these apps and they are available on Android but not WP, then why wouldn't I at least try Android? It's survival of the fittest, and the WP app world isn't very fit right now.

Try it, I'm not trying to convince you otherwise. But you said this was your first smartphone, and for a first smartphone user, your claim that Strava and Intellicast are better than AccuWeather and Runtastic is incredibly suspect given your lack of experience with either of them.

 

2tomtom

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I really did want a banking app, HSBC to be precise, but discovered that it just gives balances and recent transactions iPhone and Android. Which is of no use to me. I need full view of my credit card and investments etc. So now i don't need it..

For those who use the next "in" app, I find these too have limitations. Like the "in" photo-sharing apps that lower the quality and resolution of any photo shared. So I can see in years to come, people will be trying to track down the originals due to this low quality.

so, yes I understand people need the next "in" app, but think about what your getting!
 

2tomtom

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I really did want a banking app, HSBC to be precise, but discovered that it just gives balances and recent transactions iPhone and Android. Which is of no use to me. I need full view of my credit card and investments etc. So now i don't need it..

For those who use the next "in" app, I find these too have limitations. Like the "in" photo-sharing apps that lower the quality and resolution of any photo shared. So I can see in years to come, people will be trying to track down the originals due to this low quality.

so, yes I understand people need the next "in" app, but think about what your getting!
 

meddyrainzo

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First off, if anyone thinks Doohickie is "part of the problem", "is just whining", or some other argument that implies he is just kicking dirt on an established short-coming of WP, you haven't read his other posts, and you are not reading his thread. Do not let his chicken throw you off: This guy is serious. (Actually, Doohickie, the chicken thing is kinda your own fault, but no matter. :smile:)

It doesn't matter what the majority of us in this forum think, only what each person thinks. I read an article on recruitment once where the recruiting coordinator at the University of Auburn was fighting hard to get a kid to come to play football there. He said he really thought he had him, only to lose him out to a school up north (he didn't say which one). When he called the kid to follow up, he asked him why he picked this school over Auburn, the kid said that they had a soft serve ice cream machine in the Athletic dorm and Auburn didn't.

Did he complain about how that was over rated? That the School caferteria had it, so there was no reason to use that as an excuse? Tell the kid he was part of the problem because he didn't come to them to ask for one? Nope. He got Auburn to put in a stinking soft-serve ice cream machine so he wouldn't lose anyother kid for the same reason.

I agree that MS, and Nokia for that matter, have done a pretty good job growing the app selections to over 300,000 in 4 years. But you are fighting 2 OS's with 1,000,000 (Dr. Evil accent) selections. It isn't important that we don't see it as a deal breaker, so many others do. I have written to maybe a dozen or more companies to see if they would create a WP app for their service, but so far none of those dozen or so companies have. The fact there is no PayPal or Square credit card reader app is why my wife now has an Android. The lack of a bank app is why my friends entire family are now on iOS. The fact that Marvel and DC Comics do not have an app is why my sons friend crossed WP off his list about a year ago.

It is a deal breaker. It is the norm. Apps are expected. Saying we are fine without them doesn't help at all. Because it isn't about us, it is about Doohickie and users like him that would love or do love WP if only thet had this app or that app or that other app.

Exactly. I would expect apps as little but relevant as those mentioned to be on WP. They are real deal breakers
 

Chregu

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It's not only the apps, it's also the quality of the apps. Look at the Spotify app for example.

Personally I can live with the apps however, Nokia is (was) working heavily on getting apps to WP. That the OS is lacking in features and didn't get any relevant features since WP7 release is the bigger issue in my eyes. Just look at this terrible joke which calls itself calender.
 
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