BlackBerry World hits 10K apps

BlackBerry World now has more than 10,000 applications on its shelves. This would be more impressive if Android didn't have ten times that number, and iOS more than twice what Android's got. But BlackBerry World is only 18 months old, and version two only came out last month. The new version improved the user experience hugely …

[Jess]

I upgraded to version 2

and it stopped working.

So I gave up with it.

(If I could find the previous version I would put it back)

[James 5]

Never mind the quality - feel the width

So how many of these 10,000 apps actually do something useful and do it well?

You're falling into the same trap the morons who boast they've got "1000 friends on Facebook"

[Anonymous Coward]

Pretty Good Ratio

Actually most of the applications that I'm looking at right now are well organised. You still get a large number of theme packs but otherwise the apps are categorised nicely and offer medium quality build and up.

Obviously you have some cheapy free apps, but most of the paid apps are designed quite well and offer quality service.

This is compared to Android's every developer can code a heap of steaming features and Apple allowing their steaming heap to make fart sounds.

[LuMan]

Fart apps?? RIM??

Are they related??

[John 104]

HAHAHA

Nice one.

[BristolBachelor]

App numbers

It's all crap. These numbers even make bad statistics look good.

For example, how many applications just turn on the backlight to use you iPhone battery up even quicker?

Or are just an application that does the same thing as 4 other applications?

How many applications are just 1 particular webiste (or RSS feed) inside an application? How can you boast that 20 of these are different applications, if all they are really is like opening safari and going to "news.bbc.co.uk", "www.imdb.org" or similar?

How many applications are just a slideshow of pictures? (Probably less since all the ones that were pictures of pretty ladies got kickedd out!)

Perhaps Apple should CHARGE developers to put applications in the app store to stop all the app spamming!

[James Hughes 1]

If I were an app developer

I'd be looking in to doing Symbian apps - going to be a big hole in the market when the new Nokia smartphone range comes out.

Fewer apps = more demand = more money.

Same with Blackberry of course.

[steve2727]

Fart Ratio

Hopefully this will become the internationally recognised standard measure of mobile app store quality!

[NTidd]

PayPal

And you can still only purchase apps if you use the dreaded PayPal, amirite?

I was ready to purchase an app until I got to the PayPal screen.

[Anonymous Coward]

How about reading the article

Specifically, the third paragraph.

[IR]

I propose

I propose that the Fart App Quotient (FAQ) is used to determine the quality of all future app stores.

[Daniel B.]

BB World 2.0 is actually good

One of the good things about it is that I can actually purchase the apps now. It used to be that Mexico was a "free apps only" region, but now I can purchase the apps, though it does seem to be the case of PayPal being required. However, that might be me not being in the US.

Some of the apps are pretty good, I've even purchased a few of 'em. Their sales model is also different; you pay ain initial fee for releasing apps, but whatever sales you get, they go 100% to you, instead of the 70/30 split. Of course, this could be because RIM already benefits from the BIS/BES service contracts and thus has no need to pimp the AppStore. Then again, neither does Apple, but Apple loves to pimp everyone.

Anyway... the few apps I've purchased have been pretty useful. I've also noticed that ever since the AppWorld came out, the number of BB apps have increased. That's pretty good!

[JaitcH]

Quality not quantity

What really matters if an App has some utility that will help complete your work assignments.

Wobbly breasts on a Lemon 4 might be just what an iPhan needs for their daily chores. Shows the device has some function.

[thomas k.]

re: FAQ

Ovi wins, then - at least the section for the N900; couldn't find a single fart app, though might be different on the Symbian side.

[Armus Squelprom]

The eBay app is borked

It's the only thing I wanted (apart from google maps, natch) and it won't recognise my username & password... :o(