Amazon Appstore A Mobile Train Wreck?

[Jason Lee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-appstore-disaster-2011-7' target='_blank'>http://www.businessinsider.com/amaz...disaster-2011-7</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Amazon's Android Appstore is a "disaster," says Swedish game developer BitHack in a scathing blog post (via GigaOm)."</em></p><p><img height="300" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/adt/auto/1310055358.usr206.jpg" style="border: 0;" width="400" /></p><p>I know from a user stand point the Amazon Appstore falls quite short when&nbsp;compared&nbsp;to the Android Market but it appears to be just as lacking from a developer standpoint. Everything from long app&nbsp;approval&nbsp;times even for updates to changing the prices the developer wants to charge for the app. Not really a good way to win the hearts and minds of developers around the world Amazon.</p>

[Craig Horlacher]

I think the Amazon AppStore is a great thing. There is clearly room to improve. I like the way they have a free paid app every day. I like the way they handle photos and videos in the app description. Sometimes I like the way it encapsulates downloads and app update notifications within the app rather than making them system wide. I don't like the way you're forced into keeping their app store installed to run their apps. I don't like the fact that many of the comments and ratings are useless and should just be removed and can reduce an apps rating significantly for no good reason. I don't like the fact that they force a wifi download for apps larger than a measly 20MB.

Overall, I'm glad for app store competition. From a consumer standpoint I'm very glad we have the Amazon AppStore. From a developer standpoint, I sure hope Amazon is taking their concerns into consideration. Especially for foreign developers it sounds like there are some major problems that need to be addressed.

[The Yaz]

The Amazon App Store has been a great addition for my Android devices. Being a little too geeky for my own good, I've purchased the Augen Gentouch 78, and recently the Viewsonic G Tablet.

Both devices are not approved for the Google experience, so neither have access to Google's market *(legally that is...). I've used some of the other apps stores available, but they just weren't very polished and the selection of the hot apps tended to be lacking.

Amazon's site is a big improvement, and while the article say the developer's filter did not work with regards to screen size, it actually did work for me (Apparatus loaded on the G Tablet, but not the Gentouch).

I hope everyone accepts that its still a new venture and gives Amazon time to work out the kinks. Google's market wasn't great compared to iTunes apps store when it began either...

Steve :cool: