'Beta' Apps - damaging reputation or essential? possible solutions..

[Great deal]

Ive been an avid user of WP for over 2 years and experienced all the good, great, ok, bad and terrible apps over that time.

IMO releasing apps in beta can poison and plant seeds of doubt into many in the user base if its buggy and lacks basic features, or have a positive effect and make people feel good in knowing great things are going to happen with that app that starts off really well with lots of updates.

Possible solution..Microsoft have over 100,000 employees and can use them as a test bed along with ring fencing beta users so the public at large cannot get access to beta apps unless they sign up for beta access. The apps can then be released to the app store as final beta meaning the app will lose its beta tag after 7 days if all is well else it stays beta with the problem outlined and a specific date given to resolve that issue. Something like this would give us either non buggy apps right from the start or a time frame for Beta apps to be fixed, im fed up of apps seeming to be in Beta for ages without updates, news or features.

Many may disagree however im looking at this from the perspective of people who do not use sites like WP Central or the developers preview.

What do you think of beta apps eg Facebook Beta, Lockscreen Beta?

 

[masterchief1984]

I feel your pain wholeheartedly. I just posted something similar in a different thread. These beta apps are ridiculous. Apps like Live Lock Screen I can see, but apps like IG and FB is just uncalled for. FB and IG have been in beta status well over 2 years with no look to be finished in sight. FB Beta is indeed light years better but the iOS and Android versions are still years beyond it.