Why does the App gap even exist?

[andyqkw]

Maybe they're telling the truth ? $10,000 invested to return $500 from sales doesn't really make sense to most people.

Every app isn't going to attract droves of buyers, and if the initial user base is 4% market share....

It could be true, but they are just not putting in enough effort to support Windows Phone and give excuses like nobody is using them.

How do you expect people to use/keep using and promote your product when what you've release is crappy and never updated?

I do not care about messages and games on Tango, I am using it primarily for call/video call. Since they already have a working app for Windows Phone 7.x, why can't they modify the code a bit to make it work on Windows Phone 8.x?

As for Rebtel, calls can only be made thru using the carriers monthly local outgoing call minutes and not thru VoIP. I might as well go for those calling card which allows my to call overseas via call-back service at a same or cheaper rate with that little bit of inconvenience added.

It all boils down to the chicken and egg issue...
- No quality app, no users
- Quality app, user base will pick up gradually (words of mouth)

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm not a developer so I'm not familiar with the technical stuff. I was under the impression that universal apps have been around for a while. Do you guys think universal apps will be what Microsoft really needs to get a big push? Or maybe to make universal apps work on more Microsoft products like more apps available for Xbox and adding the app experience to Windows 7 users? Pretty much what I'm getting at is what type of I incentive or mindset does a company have to get in to think to themselves, "well if we have this program (.EXE) that runs on Windows then it's only right we make the app version as well to compliment".

 

[foxbat121]

Universal apps just showed up in WP8.1 preview, not a long time. Even a simplest app takes months to develop to the quality you'd expect.

It is certainly a step towards the right direction but it is not as universal as you expect. You still have to write some portion of code separately on each platform. You have to publish separate app packages for each platform. And you still have small portions of features only available on one platform vs another. And in order to do universal app, the UI controls need to be narrowed down to a few controls that works in both platforms.

In other words, it has not greatly reduced amount of time to develop apps for both platforms.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

Universal apps just showed up in WP8.1 preview, not a long time. Even a simplest app takes months to develop to the quality you'd expect.

It is certainly a step towards the right direction but it is not as universal as you expect. You still have to write some portion of code separately on each platform. You have to publish separate app packages for each platform. And you still have small portions of features only available on one platform vs another. And in order to do universal app, the UI controls need to be narrowed down to a few controls that works in both platforms.

In other words, it has not greatly reduced amount of time to develop apps for both platforms.

Is this the same case for apple with the iPhone and iPad?

 

[trivor]

The "app gap" is not the problem with the popular apps. It is with commercial applications - Credit Unions, Banks, Financial Apps (Mastercard, Visa, Amex, etc), Sports teams (team specific apps like NHL, Baseball, Football). These are all areas where I have "must have" apps as I use them most days (or at least weekly) and eliminate Windows Phone as a competitor for Android or iOS. I bought a Lumia 521 to check out Windows Phone and it's a nice OS. The problem is that Windows Phone doesn't have a killer feature or app that will motivate people to take the time to switch OSes. I have an investment of $100s of dollars in Android Apps that I'm not willing to give up (or the day to day apps that are not available). MS is caught in the chicken and egg paradox with respect to apps - many commercial endeavors are not willing to spend IT resources on a small percentage of their customers and people won't buy Windows Phone unless some of their must have apps are available. I believe this is why Windows Phone may be stuck at a plateau of 3-4% in the US. JMHO.

 

[trivor]

Indeed yes... you saw this back when the Android market first started... even the really popular social apps got few updates... and all of the variant apps that tried to fill in the gaps. What a mess... especially in the open wide range of the Android market (it still suffers at times from that).... but word of mouth gets about and the quality stuff starts to show up and take over.

We can only hope that the WP market won't take too long to mature... I think a lot of big businesses still have a lot of unknowns when it comes to social and mobile. They measure stuff by the ROI (return on investment) quarter to quarter. There's no willingness to take a leap of faith... they worry about the "if you build it....and no one shows up" epic fail. Of course, if they never try...then they never fail.

It's a good thing that nothing stays the same... if your tech is solid it will catch on and move in the direction that people want it to.... how many PC's run MS Windows? Now if MS can finally get that Mobil Story right... yeah, that will be something to see happen... the next major step for them. :excited:

~ScottGeek.

How many years (we're currently at 3 years) does it take for the Windows Phone market to be mature?

Apple's Mac OS has been in the 5% range for a long time (over 5 years) and it's really hard to see what the flash point would be to jump start Windows Phone from 3-4% to the 10% it probably needs to spur companies and developers to add WP 8 to its Android and iOS versions.

 

[Alex Mason86]

Even MSFT themselves sometimes ignore windows phone users - OneNote app cannot craft create new while even iPhone users can.

The one note app on WP could be miles better and so could it's integration with office lens which bizarrely can't export direct to one note. The ui in both is awful. OneNote in particular I find difficult and slow to navigate.

Word and excel aren't much better. The ios and android versions are much better and Imo, actually worth the subscription fees! Just because its free on WP doesn't excuse it from being the ginger step child.

 

[tgp]

Word and excel aren't much better. The ios and android versions are much better and Imo, actually worth the subscription fees! Just because its free on WP doesn't excuse it from being the ginger step child.

Office is also now free on iOS and Android. An Office 365 subscription is no longer necessary.

 

[ohgood]

How many years (we're currently at 3 years) does it take for the Windows Phone market to be mature?

Apple's Mac OS has been in the 5% range for a long time (over 5 years) and it's really hard to see what the flash point would be to jump start Windows Phone from 3-4% to the 10% it probably needs to spur companies and developers to add WP 8 to its Android and iOS versions.

This is a very good example.

Mac os will not grow more unless Microsoft continues to annoy customers.
Windows phone will not grow either without Samsung really ticking of their current buyers.

A big difference is the length of ownership though. The phones get updated every year or two by customers while PC's last past 5 years easily.

 

[Christopher Lindsay]

This is a very good example.

Mac os will not grow more unless Microsoft continues to annoy customers.
Windows phone will not grow either without Samsung really ticking of their current buyers.

A big difference is the length of ownership though. The phones get updated every year or two by customers while PC's last past 5 years easily.

As an iPhone user I can say for sure that apple is pissing off people but the first place they go it's Android.

 

[KeegdnaB42]

"Ignore it and it will go away"
That's why the app gap exists. It's the same mentality that results in way more complicated social issues. I don't want to equate our situation with things like racism and homophobia because doing so is appropriative as hell (and why the whole #mobileequality thing sort of disgusts me), but when you think about it, it does make for an interesting metaphor and no one should be even close to be surprised that we get this attitude from developers when we ask them to support a platform we *chose* to invest ourselves in because we still live in a world where people have to fight to be recognized as human beings because of factors that are completely out of their control. Let's not also forget that all commercials apps are made on macs, which means you have an elitist minority sitting at the top holding all the power. They don't want WP to succeed and so they'll just ignore it and assume people will just get tired of asking and buy an iPhone or android instead.

 

[colinkiama]

The day Microsoft become enthusiastic about the OS, is when developers will fly in

 

[tgp]

The fast Microsoft become enthusiastic about the OS, is when developers will fly in

I think too that the enthusiasm should start at the top. Why are Skype, RDP, and even Office better on iOS & Android than on WP? If the reason is because of OS restrictions (which I believe it may be partially), then why doesn't Microsoft make changes to fix that problem? They're the only ones who can.

 

[PiggyMiddle]

This situation is all of msoft's doing in what is and is not allowed when programming an app for WP. Msoft WP-group decided that certain functions will be off limits to devs for the sake of safety and security. However, in typical msoft fashion, they crush the car and contents instead of just changing the flat tire.

Basically msoft-WP declared that anything within the "Settings" section is off limits so something as simple as an app to turn on/off wifi and/or Tethering is not possible. When you tie one of a dev's hands behind their back, you can only expect a smaller number of apps compared to Android where pretty much anything is allowed.

With Android, for the app to be available for direct download from the store, it will have been checked for any nastiness before being added to the store. Msoft, on the other hand seem to have said, "too hard," so they just lock devs out of a lot of areas that would make a greater range of apps a possible and viable option.

I think with the recent change at the top of msoft, and the push to make just one-base for all windows apps, these restrictions will quite quickly be rationalized and removed. That should then lead top more devs writing stuff for WP.

Sooo, the blame should be placed squarely at the feet of msoft. Once they free up dev access to all of the functions of the phone, the sooner we will have more apps.

 

[colinkiama]

I think too that the enthusiasm should start at the top. Why are Skype, RDP, and even Office better on iOS & Android than on WP? If the reason is because of OS restrictions (which I believe it may be partially), then why doesn't Microsoft make changes to fix that problem? They're the only ones who can.

Lool, it definitely has nothing to do with OS restrictions because Microsoft made the OS themselves. They have machine level access. I heard Skype 8.1 will come soon. And that it will fix all these problems that were are having.

 

[tgp]

And that it will fix all these problems that were are having.

Ha, we've been hearing that about pretty much every update since the beginning of WP7.

 

[psgenious]

as i think many devs would be irritate with wp limitations.

 

[AngrySprintUser]

Crab people

 

[anon(5445874)]

Do not trust apps, they are made to spy on you or they only exist to collect your personal info. The name of the game is DATA COLLECTION.

 

[deansmilk]

This situation is all of msoft's doing in what is and is not allowed when programming an app for WP. Msoft WP-group decided that certain functions will be off limits to devs for the sake of safety and security. However, in typical msoft fashion, they crush the car and contents instead of just changing the flat tire.

Basically msoft-WP declared that anything within the "Settings" section is off limits so something as simple as an app to turn on/off wifi and/or Tethering is not possible. When you tie one of a dev's hands behind their back, you can only expect a smaller number of apps compared to Android where pretty much anything is allowed.

With Android, for the app to be available for direct download from the store, it will have been checked for any nastiness before being added to the store. Msoft, on the other hand seem to have said, "too hard," so they just lock devs out of a lot of areas that would make a greater range of apps a possible and viable option.

I think with the recent change at the top of msoft, and the push to make just one-base for all windows apps, these restrictions will quite quickly be rationalized and removed. That should then lead top more devs writing stuff for WP.

Sooo, the blame should be placed squarely at the feet of msoft. Once they free up dev access to all of the functions of the phone, the sooner we will have more apps.

Whether this is true or not, good. I dont want a bloated mess like Android. Regardless, apps like Hbogo are available on Xbox. Im pretty sure there are just as much wp users as Xbox. I know that's one app, but a major one imo. I dont think the issue is a developers lack of system setting access. I think it's laziness. Well, according to Rubino they dont want to waste resources on updates. Look at the apps from Rudy that work fine without deeper system settings or whatever.