2/3 of Apple's iOS App Store populated by 'zombie' apps, estimate finds - Page 2

The classification system is horribly coarse grained.  "Games"  Okay... but what about "first-person shooter" that doesn't ask for in-app purchase suitable for children 6-12?

They need to show you things like intended audience, app style (eg. game that makes you collect and buy things).  I think what would be most useful is for users to classify the games directly on the app store. 
 

Apple must be paying to be their rock star App Store spokesperson.  Well get to work, you have a lot of convincing to do considering almost all of these posts are complaining how CRAPPY it is.  When I know what I want, I search for it otherwise it's almost impossible to have the patience to discover something new while browsing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quadra 610 

 

Because even "crap" apps have a right to be there. There are certain minimum standards that apps should meet, and as long as they do, they can be there. 

 

It's an app store. You'll get all kinds of apps.

 

If you want to find good ones, there's the Search function, the ratings, the Top Apps, and so on. It's not that hard.

non issue. Cream rises to the top.

While the article is actually an add for the 'Adeven' firm, however, they're right in saying that the App Store search function is bad. It's so bad I believe it doesn't deserve to be called "search". I don't know if the cause is faulty design, or if there's an interest in Apple (ie: show people the "best" apps rather than allowing them to search for specific categories or specific features).

If you want to look for some app/game, you have no remedy but to use Google. From Google find the app website, and from there the link to the App Store. There couldn't be any better symptom than this showing the App Store "just doesn't work" (TM).

I really hope it's actually faulty design rather than commercial interest. Because if it's the former, we'll see it fixed, while if it's the later it will remain as is.

Maybe Apple could randomly feature them on the main page. 

Or maybe randomly give away apps for free if they have not been downloaded for 30 days - not to everyone - just enough to see set off any potential word of mouth type advertising. 

The discovery in App Store sucks.

After I have downloaded over 600 Apps over the years, I am sick to see only those apps which I already have in their top listing. I wish I could filter those which I already have out.

Better sorting features. E.g. when you sort by rating on iPad (on iPhone it is not possible), the store 'forgets' your sorting very soon.

There are other filter and sorting options I wish they had...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvin 

I'd like to see a blacklist option like Netflix's 'not interested' button. I hate seeing the same apps I don't want over and over. I want to be able to tell the iTunes Store that I never want to see the apps again. Same deal for apps I own. Apps I own should be held in a separate area so I can review them but not appear in the store again - it's not as if I can buy them again.
This way I can sift through apps and discover new ones. Without a blacklist, I just rely on the top charts too because I just don't have time to flip through hundreds of apps one day only to go through the same list the next day.
Apple can use the number of 'not interested' tags to push really poor or low utility apps further down in searches based on iTunes profile.
I don't see why they persist with global top listings. In the top chart, they have Peppa Pig's Sports Day, which is clearly a children's game. If my profile says no kid's games, the top listing shouldn't have it because I'm not going to be buying it. All it's doing is taking up the spot of a game I might buy if I could see it. Similarly I don't need apps about menopause or periods.
Two simple things:
- blacklist (including entire genres)
- personalised top listings
That should sort the problem of discoverability.

u mean like the genius feature that already exists?  You can not just arbitrarily remove items from the top 1..n list as that would mean the top 1..n is meaningless as it is really not a top 1..n list.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmsley 

The classification system is horribly coarse grained.  "Games"  Okay... but what about "first-person shooter" that doesn't ask for in-app purchase suitable for children 6-12?

They need to show you things like intended audience, app style (eg. game that makes you collect and buy things).  I think what would be most useful is for users to classify the games directly on the app store. 
 

Yeah, that sounds usable. Do you by chance work for Microsoft or Google?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdkennedy 

Apple must be paying to be their rock star App Store spokesperson.  Well get to work, you have a lot of convincing to do considering almost all of these posts are complaining how CRAPPY it is.  When I know what I want, I search for it otherwise it's almost impossible to have the patience to discover something new while browsing.

 

they already have this...it is called Genius. And they do featured apps where they highlight different cool apps.  Not sure what you people want. it is like you want apple to magically know exactly what you want when you do not even know what you want and even when the Genius feature does this you complain that you do not want it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullhead 

 

they already have this...it is called Genius. And they do featured apps where they highlight different cool apps.  Not sure what you people want. it is like you want apple to magically know exactly what you want when you do not even know what you want and even when the Genius feature does this you complain that you do not want it.

"You people"  Apparently it is "all people" because 2 out of 3 apps have never been downloaded or discovered.  Apparently something is broken.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdkennedy 

Apple must be paying to be their rock star App Store spokesperson.  Well get to work, you have a lot of convincing to do considering almost all of these posts are complaining how CRAPPY it is.  When I know what I want, I search for it otherwise it's almost impossible to have the patience to discover something new while browsing.

 

Take AI complaints and pundit observations with a grain of salt. They don't necessarily reflect the sentiments of the bulk of the market. 

If your app is good, it'll get noticed. Same as anywhere else. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullhead 

 

they already have this...it is called Genius. And they do featured apps where they highlight different cool apps.  Not sure what you people want. it is like you want apple to magically know exactly what you want when you do not even know what you want and even when the Genius feature does this you complain that you do not want it.

I don't expect Apple to know exactly what I want, but there should be a way to define what I definitely don't want.  I don't play games on my phone, so I don't really want to see games anywhere whilst using the app store.  As someone mentioned earlier, displaying those is just wasted space for me.  Same as apps I already have installed, why do I need to see them if I already have them?  Again, wasted space that could be better used to display other apps I may be interested in.  I have both a 4S and a SGS2 and whilst the App Store is marginally better than Android Market, both of them really need somewhat of an overhaul with regards to how apps are presented.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harbinger 

Agree. Very misleading.

"Orphan" would be a better word than "zombie"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellacool 

"You people"  Apparently it is "all people" because 2 out of 3 apps have never been downloaded or discovered.  Apparently something is broken.

Surely every app on the App Store should sell millions and millions of copies.  Just like every band which released music should be a triple platinum artist. Or every  web site should get hundreds of millions of hits.  Where do you people come up with this stuff?

I agree that categories should be more specific. Sometimes, you just want to browse, but sadly, even through 5 min of browsing any store, you only see the most popular, well advertised ones. You really have to dig deep to find some good gems lying around at the bottom of the pile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by imbrucewayne 

I agree that categories should be more specific. Sometimes, you just want to browse, but sadly, even through 5 min of browsing any store, you only see the most popular, well advertised ones. You really have to dig deep to find some good gems lying around at the bottom of the pile.

And another serious problem is when you want to compare all apps which perform some task. Let's suppose I want to compare all vector design apps for choosing the one that fits my needs best. There's no way of knowing if you saw all the possible apps or if you left any possible candidates.

The only way is to use Google instead. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaptorOO7 
App (short for application, also known as software) is the generally accepted term by the common user today and is why the term "app" should not be trade marked or patented, like the word window.

Had to slip that in there, eh? First, what's with the (definition of app)... combined with the quasi-legal opinion as though you were representing Amazon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd_in_sb 

The term "zombie" in the title made me think that the apps were malware, before I read the article.

I completely agree. I'd like it if the author/headline writer would remove the headline reference to "zombies." Have it in the body of the story since that's what the ad-guy said but in the headline -- I thought the AppStore was 66% populated by malicious apps!

Use "undiscovered" or "neglected" if you must... something that describes this apparently huge percentage of apps that are left "undownloaded."

The "analyst" is probably using such a negatively provocative phrase to garner attention. In my case, the wrong kind of attention... I won't have anything to do with "Adeven".

Many of those apps aren't any more complex than the samples Apple makes available to developers.  If anything. I think the iTunes App Store needs more screening to prevent crapware from getting published.

Apple needs to learn a thing or two from Amazon. Amazon sells a million disparate items but still makes it easy to find what you're looking for. Amazon also does a good job at suggesting items based on your purchase history. 

The app store isn't bad but there's plenty of room for improvement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacLuvin 

It would be nice if Apple had an App store and a Game center.
Look at the top 250 "apps" and it's 98% games.
I do not want games on my iPhone. Separate the apps from the children's games and
Maybe grown ups can find Useful apps.

You had a good point till you wrecked it with your condesending tone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by H2P 

 

I completely agree. I'd like it if the author/headline writer would remove the headline reference to "zombies." Have it in the body of the story since that's what the ad-guy said but in the headline -- I thought the AppStore was 66% populated by malicious apps!

 

Use "undiscovered" or "neglected" if you must... something that describes this apparently huge percentage of apps that are left "undownloaded."

 

The "analyst" is probably using such a negatively provocative phrase to garner attention. In my case, the wrong kind of attention... I won't have anything to do with "Adeven".

It also implies that 2/3 of the Apps are coming back from the dead so to speak. When in fact, the apps are dead, and will remain so.

This is why  I think that the system should be even more closed than it is, not more open.    Who needs a store where most of the apps are junk?    Good retailers don't inventory everything - they curate.   While the search tools can be vastly improved across all of Apple's stores (iTunes included), it's never going to be easy to find what you want (unless you already know it by title) with 600,000 apps on there.   

Personally, I think that any app that doesn't sell a single copy in a year's time should be removed from the store.   

And I agree with the person who thinks that games should be segregated, although not necessarily in a totally separate store.

What do you call it if you write a Plants vs Zombies clone and it sits on the shelf? A zombie zombie app?

@zunx - the article's about the iOS App Store, not the Mac App Store. Your comment and link don't apply.

Originally Posted by mrswine 
@zunx - the article's about the iOS App Store, not the Mac App Store. Your comment and link don't apply.

Oh, good. You added a name. In the future, just go ahead and quote the guy you're referencing. It can get confusing otherwise. 

Don't… don't hit "reply". That does nothing.

"Zombie apps"....puuu-lease!

How about zombie "mobile analytics and ad firms"?  Is there no "proper search" for "mobile analytics and ad firms" so we have this article to help them out?   LOL.

Zombie apps....funny concept, nice try, but no - poorly researched and a demonstrated lack of understanding.  Give us all a break.

2/3 of software anywhere is "zombie" then I guess.  Was this article just a ploy to use the word zombie??

In the old days (and today too, except for those guys ref'd in TFA) we called that 2/3 of the software made something like "business software."  Almost all of it was single-use and very esoteric.  (Ringing a bell?)  The percentage of software available at retail for consumers - general use or entertainment - was always a small percentage of the amount of software made.  I think this phenomena in the App Store is merely a modern expression of that meme.