The Struggles of Getting Into the App Store 329
itwbennett writes "You've heard the horror stories about the App Store approval process driving developers away, but what really makes it so bad isn't the 6-8 day waiting period or even rejection. What make it so bad is the lack of access to a human problem-solver at who can loosen the stranglehold of Apple's protocol machine, says Matthew Mombrea, who recounts in excruciating detail his company's experience publishing iOS apps, and, worse, updates to iOS apps."
Why? (Score:1, Insightful)
Why is everyone clamoring for an opportunity to support The Beast?
If you hate the walled garden, don't ask to be let in.
Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
That's simple: the walled garden is where the money is.
They don't need you (Score:2, Insightful)
Apple is dealing from a position of strength. They don't need you.
This is why iPADS are not business ready (Score:2, Insightful)
The cited IT World article (http://www.itworld.com/it-consumerization/306090/apple-ios-app-review-frustrating-and-bad-your-health) is a lesson in why you don't try to use iPAD as an enterprise platform for home-grown specialized software. You simply don't have enough control over the device or the ability to get the software onto the device. Need to update the app in real time, you are at the mercy of Apple regardless of how nit-picky you think the reviewers are.
Summary: app developer breaks rules, is denied. (Score:5, Insightful)
The article does not describe any actions they take to make the above not true, so it appears that they broke Apple's rules. What can they expect?
Re:Android for the first $1250 (Score:3, Insightful)
As far as costs of doing business goes, $1250 is a god damn bargain.
Really wish people would stop whining about $100 development certificate. It's a negligible cost in the face of the actual App development cost.
Re:Android for the first $1250 (Score:5, Insightful)
Unless one is in an early stage startup and needs the Android revenue to afford the $1250 startup cost for iOS development ($650 Mac mini, $500 iPad, $100 certificate).
Dude, if you can't afford to invest $1250 in your startup, you can't afford to invest in your startup. The guy who rides the ice cream bike around the 'hood had a higher startup cost what with the custom cooler-bike, dry ice, ice cream, and business license.
Who starts with a Windows box? (Score:4, Insightful)
Unless one is in an early stage startup and needs the Android revenue to afford the $1250 startup cost for iOS development ($650 Mac mini, $500 iPad, $100 certificate).
Most people already have a Mac laptop quite capable of developing iOS apps.
That Android development is not free either by the same logic; you need SOME computer for that and in fact to make Eclipse tolerable it better have a goodly amount of RAM and a fast processor.
And you list $500 for an iPad - why? Brand new iPads start at $400, and you can get refurb or used iPad 2 units for less - never mind the new iPad mini which would serve just as well... or an iPod touch which is even less.
I would argue if you were doing any serious Android development you'd be spending a hell of a lot more for test devices. Otherwise if you aren't serious you can also ship to the Apple app store without testing on a single real device either.
Very fishy stats.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Unfortunately, 2/3's of iOS apps have never been downloaded, and less than 1% of iOS apps earn over $1000.
I highly doubt both of those figures.
I know a lot of friends (and myself) who make niche apps, apps they do not advertise and you would never have heard of. All of them have made over $1000 on the apps they make, and there are quite a few other companies making high profile apps that are obviously making a lot of money. There's no way that only ~7500 apps have made over $1k.
In fact this article makes a good case that the number of people making over $1k is more like 20% [daveaddey.com]
Also simply because of review sites and pirates (!), I would actually claim it is nearly impossible that 2/3 of iOS applications have never seen a single download.
It sounds like you are trying to spread FUD - I salute your effort as it makes life easier for us app developers, but I just can't let bad information sit without challenge.
Re:What we have here... (Score:5, Insightful)
What we have here...Is failure to communicate.
What we have here ... Is a deliberate failure to communicate.
FTFY.
Explaining policies would expose inconsistencies and cost money in additional staff hours.
Apple is not the first company that decided to create a couple of layers between customer support and customers.
Eclipse and Linux are damn expensive then (Score:2, Insightful)
But you need to buy a Mac first, not use the computer you already have.
I salute you as being the only person on the planet born with a PC attached to your ass.
The rest of us have to buy SOME computer, no matter what program we wish to run.
Long ago most technical folk switched to buying Mac laptops, so most of them can in fact use the computer they already have...
Re:What we have here... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What we have here... (Score:2, Insightful)
This is all true (though note that if you're selling physical goods the rules are different, presumably because Apple don't want to own that space, yet).
It's also true that Apple is abusing their stranglehold on the market to try to wring all possible money out of developers, and cripple the software of competitors like Amazon and Google. That's not acceptable for users, developers, or a healthy ecosystem long-term, and we should continue to complain about it until they fix it.
Re:Who starts with a Windows box? (Score:4, Insightful)
Most people
Huh? [wikipedia.org]
Re:What we have here... (Score:2, Insightful)
It blows goats for both legitimate business (sort of—it creates a safer, consistent marketplace, which is a big part of why people are willing to spend money buying software and media on their iDevices, and that doesn't blow goats. Actually, I'd say it's a net benefit for most businesses) and for scammers.
It's good for Apple (obviously) and for most users most of the time.
The Bigger Picture (Score:5, Insightful)
The entire Apple ecosystem is way overpriced, from their consumer products to their stock, as well as all the little "apps" that run on those things.
Get out of the cabin much? I guess not when you are claiming apps that range generally in price for $1 to $5 are "way overpriced".
I would call you gramps but you have that really high UID...
I resent the idea that I'm supposed to waste so much of my time to fiddle with some little pocket device encumbered with a thousand patents to text and email people who don't have the time to communicate in real life
Only fools live to suit the devices they own.
I do none of that, instead my device is there to serve as *I* wish, providing data on demand. How much poorer a life when you do not have that ability on tap constantly.
You need to look at the big picture of what you're developing apps for. Someday people will realize and learn to work with the inherent limitations of interfacing with a little piece-of-junk device that fits in your pocket,
Funny you should mention the big picture; I have already seen it. It's a world where people find the small devices rock-solid compared to the "fiddly" world of PC's they came from. That's what you fail to understand, for non-technical users the desktop is the thing that is limiting and fiddly, the pocket devices the thing they turn to when the just want to do something without fuss and have vastly greater ability to use software to amplify human ability.
It is why I had been looking for a way to switch into mobile development full time since the early smart phone days, and jumped into it full time with the release of the iOS SDK. You don't have to be a genius to see which way the world will go, you just have to stop and consider what most people will probably do.
That is a truth that lives outside of brand; even if iOS faltered Android of WP8 would simply take over the same role. The PC is not a thing most people would want to use, tablets and mobile smartphones are.
Re:Very fishy stats.... (Score:3, Insightful)
If you make an assertion, it is for you to provide the source to verify it. You could easily have pasted the link to the story that supports your post, but no, you had to post a lmgtfy link instead.
Well fuck you too.