why do you think some big apps are slow to be updated?

[runamuck83]

I'm curious what your thoughts are on this?

It seems like if a company has taken the time to develop and app and launch it on WP, they're at least somewhat responsible to update it when issues are found. But it seems there are a handful of apps that have been left for dead by big name companies.

Audible is a good example. The app is broken on WP, but no update.

How much money could it really cost to have someone to basic upkeep of an app after the hard work of creating it is done?

I just don't get it

 

[ven07]

The best we can do (for now) is spam the dev with mails and report the app to MS

 

[runamuck83]

Yea, but what I'm asking is why. Why is it so hard to maintain an app that has already been created, with just basic fixes?

 

[tgp]

We don't know the answer(s), unless the developer gives it to us. The best we can do is surmise:

1. Microsoft paid them off to put the app in the store.
2. The developers discovered that the apps are not used enough to be worth maintaining, due to low market share. This also means that had they known up front, the apps would never have been developed in the first place, with the exception of #1 above being the reason it was developed.
3. Few high end WPs are sold, and the low end users don't use the apps.
4. OS restrictions limit functionality.

Now, I have no clue whether these points are valid. Sure, we can pick apart possible reasons, but at the end of the day we don't know for sure. Only the developers know.

 

[runamuck83]

We don't know the answer(s), unless the developer gives it to us. The best we can do is surmise:

1. Microsoft paid them off to put the app in the store.
2. The developers discovered that the apps are not used enough to be worth maintaining, due to low market share. This also means that had they known up front, the apps would never have been developed in the first place, with the exception of #1 above being the reason it was developed.
3. Few high end WPs are sold, and the low end users don't use the apps.
4. OS restrictions limit functionality.

Now, I have no clue whether these points are valid. Sure, we can pick apart possible reasons, but at the end of the day we don't know for sure. Only the developers know.

Seems plausible. I would love to hear from a dev...

 

[ven07]

Few high end WPs are sold, and the low end users don't use the apps

Made me laugh :evil:

 

[runamuck83]

I think it's kind of silly to say that "low end users" don't use apps... Just because someone buys a budget phone doesn't mean they don't use FREE apps (such as Audible, Instagram, etc.)

 

[Laura Knotek]

Seems plausible. I would love to hear from a dev...

Unfortunately, you probably won't find devs from big name companies like Amazon.com here.

 

[ven07]

I think it's kind of silly to say that "low end users" don't use apps... Just because someone buys a budget phone doesn't mean they don't use FREE apps (such as Audible, Instagram, etc.)

Made me laugh, because I still think that a lot of low end users actually do use apps, not just the free ones. Not everybody that runs a business decides to buy a high-end phone. Mi thinks a savvy business owner would simply buy a low end phone to keep track of emails, calls, texts etc but might also need more advanced apps and would end up buying those.. This is pure speculation and that's why I laughed :winktongue: We have no way of actually gauging the numbers of low-end users that actually end up buying apps or services (AFAIK)