back to article Apple 'fesses up: We broke App Store downloads

An Apple App Store server spat out broken copies of several high-profile titles this week, the iPad maker has admitted. Updates for popular software including Instapaper and Angry Birds in Space were corrupted when downloaded, causing the programs to crash when fanbois attempted to use them. Instapaper dev Marco Ament …

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  1. Arctic fox

    Excellent. Let us hope that it is the start of a trend as far as how................

    ..............The Man From Cupertino deals with problems and how one communicates with those who are affected. I criticised Apple in the thread attached to the previous article concerning this issue and I am happy to acknowledge that they have moved way faster on this occasion (as far as communicating with their customers and the world at large is concerned) than has typically been the case until this issue cropped up. I am however obliged to say, "about bloody time".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Excellent. Let us hope that it is the start of a trend as far as how................

      I'm just impressed they didn't try to say user's had downloaded it wrong.

      1. Tom 13
        Devil

        Re: Excellent. Let us hope that it is the start of a trend as far as how................

        No, no. The download would have worked if punters hadn't been holding the device incorrectly.

    2. LarsG
      FAIL

      It was

      It was a bug I tell you, it was a bug!

    3. vgrig_us

      Re: Excellent. Let us hope that it is the start of a trend as far as how................

      Second that. But "small number of users" spin is disappointing. Then again - not bad by Apple PR statement standards .

    4. Oninoshiko

      Re: Excellent. Let us hope that it is the start of a trend as far as how................

      Im curious though (I didn't see the fine article cover it), how is APPL going to deal with the one star reviews given to products because of this? It's a bit of slander on the developer, as it wasn't there fault, but there may be other reasons the user didn't like it.

      interesting.

      1. Arctic fox
        Headmaster

        @Oninoshiko RE ".....going to deal with the one star reviews given to products because of this?"

        Yes, that is an awkward one and I imagine the devs will be complaining loud and long on exactly that issue. Is it possible for Apple to "reset" the star ratings with a short one or two line explanation as to why do you think, without it creating a problem with the system at their appstore? Even so they owe it to their devs to ensure that those of their customers who do not read tech fora like El Reg are made aware that those ratings are wholly unfair currently.

  2. mikeyboosh
    Trollface

    Will they patent this?

    1. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
      Boffin

      Yes

      The part Apple is patenting is the lie "...it affected a small number of users."

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Yes

        Yes, a business method patent "... entirely depending upon your definition of small."

    2. Tom 13
      Devil

      Nah,

      that one isn't patentable, but it probably qualifies for trademark protection.

  3. auburnman

    I had a bet with myself...

    ...when I read the headline. I bet that when I read the article, the 'confession' quote from Apple would be missing an apology.

    Turns out I won.

    1. Lee Dowling Silver badge

      Re: I had a bet with myself...

      If you made a bet with yourself, wouldn't you ALWAYS win, one way or the other?

      1. Captain Save-a-ho
        Trollface

        Re: I had a bet with myself...

        Technically, you will always win and lose a bet with yourself, since every bet has a winner and loser. Unless of course you're betting on flipping coins and the coin lands on its edge. But I digress...

        1. JeffyPooh
          Pint

          Re: I had a bet with myself...

          One could easily construct a Gödel style bet with yourself that would implode the Universe if spoken aloud.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I had a bet with myself...

        "Re: I had a bet with myself...

        If you made a bet with yourself, wouldn't you ALWAYS win, one way or the other?"

        W O W, way to miss the point!

    2. auburnman
      Trollface

      Re: I had a bet with myself...

      Yes, but it was the side I had backed to win.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I had a bet with myself...

        For a while I bet against my self when betting against myself. Turns out the odds were against me all along.

    3. asdf
      Trollface

      Re: I had a bet with myself...

      Was this before or after you played with yourself?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "his nail-gnawing frustration"

    Oh Anna... Marco was already on Twitter complaining Betabeat had reported he was "rather disgruntled" but you had to go and take to hyperbole again :-)

    "marcoarment: "rather disgruntled" http://t.co/w0LCnIOD

    I wouldn't say that — I'm seeking attention to encourage a fix for a problem affecting many."

    His story twitter rewrite/attribution tracking is also entertaining: http://storify.com/gruber/rewrite-bingo

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    More importantly for developers

    Apple removed the bad reviews caused by the crashes from all the affected apps.

    "On Friday morning, MacStories reported that indeed Apple had removed all reviews for the latest versions of the affected apps."

    http://www.macworld.com/article/1167568/possible_apple_server_bug_leads_to_corrupted_app_store_downloads.html

  6. jai

    20,000 users

    20,000 users is a small number compared to the total number of iOS users isn't it?

    1. FartingHippo
      Trollface

      Re: 20,000 users

      99.9% of Apple's users thought it was a feature. 20,000,000 affected in reality.

  7. Mr Qwak

    FU attention seeking developers!

    Quite funny how much publicity some developers get out of moaning over this. They want to try getting properly screwed by Apple, and having something significant to moan about. I got affected by this too, but really, it pales in to complete insignificance in contrast to other crap that Fruit co. have done.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: FU attention seeking developers!

      why haven't you sought attention to those afflictions you're now moaning about?

      welcome to el reg btw.

    2. Chris 3
      Gimp

      Re: FU attention seeking developers!

      As an iPad-owning Apple fanboy, I though the developer's reaction was entirely appropriate. They should kick up a fuss when something breaks.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "An Apple App Store server spat out broken copies of several high-profile titles this week, the FOXCONN RE-BRANDER has admitted "We sorry, we bad", tho you bought a Foxconn handset, live with it"

  9. Graham Lee
    WTF?

    "We don't expect it to occur again."

    I wonder why they added that. Do they have some processes that fix bugs in such a way that they _do_ expect them to recur?

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: "We don't expect it to occur again."

      Well they didn't expect it to happen the first time, they haven't changed anything so they don't expect it to happen again.

      Simple logic that can also be applied to building houses on flood plains!

  10. zemerick
    Pirate

    Interesting. So, it looks like all of this was also another case of DRM hurting the paying customer, but not pirates. <sigh>

    1. asdf
      FAIL

      why DRM exists

      DRM only exists due to the greed and narcissism of the Baby Boomer generation. Watch as they age and die how DRM is starting to fall out of favor. Younger generations understand its not about making the next quarterly and getting your gigantic bonus but about treating your customers with respect so they are around for the long haul in a mutually beneficial relationship instead of treating them like morons and thieves to exploit for short term gain.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        yeah right

        You try regain your investment when everyone and their dog is copying your app, and then we'll talk, OK...?

        It's not about people being thieves or morons. It's simply that most people don't value software, because copying it is ridiculously easy. Making it on the other hand...

        1. asdf

          Re: yeah right

          People are going to copy your app DRM or not if it is popular. All you are doing is making it inconvenient for you paying customers. The key is to find a way to build customer loyalty so people go out of their way to reward you when you new app comes out.

          1. Tom 13

            Re: People are going to copy your app DRM

            My personal favorite back in the day was the copy protection on the copy protection breaking software for the C64. We had two different breakers, because each would copy the other's breaker, but not their own.

      2. asdf
        FAIL

        Re: why DRM exists

        Customers stay sheep for only so long. Look at the current fortunes of the #1 advocate and creator of DRM Sony. Lets see lost 6 billion last year, check, 5 years straight in the red check, 1/5 the size of their heyday when they actually respected customers checkmate. In general media studios make shitty DRM laced hardware nobody wants and Sony is the worst offender.

      3. rbryanh

        Re: why DRM exists

        I am so very relieved to learn that fear, greed, and stupidity are all the province of a single generation, now passing. I look forward to seeing how this new species of human (of which you are presumably one) saves the world.

        Do please hurry.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: why DRM exists

          I'm not sure what planet you guys live in, but in mine the next generation won't even own anything, they'll just rent or stream.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: why DRM exists

        Get off my lawn.

  11. Nick De Plume

    You're Downloading Wrong

    Yay! Fairplay and DRM, aren't they lovely?

  12. This post has been deleted by its author

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Apple "reissued" the apps

    The fixed apps are showing up again as updates, with the same version number.

    Nice that they got to do that. No need to delete anything anymore, just a regular update.

  14. Confuciousmobil
    Paris Hilton

    DRM?

    The only app I had this problem with was the free version of Journey Pro.

    Why have DRM on a free app? :confused:

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