Member Sign In
Not a member?

A Wired.com user account lets you create, edit and comment on Webmonkey articles. You will also be able to contribute to the Wired How-To Wiki and comment on news stories at Wired.com.


It's fast and free.

Webmonkey is a property of Wired Digital.
processing...
Join Webmonkey
Please send me occasional e-mail updates about new features and special offers from Wired/Webmonkey.
Yes No
Please send occasional e-mail offers from Wired/Webmonkey affiliated web sites and publications, and carefully selected companies.
Yes No
I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to Webmonkey's User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
Webmonkey is a property of Wired Digital.
processing...

Retrieve Sign In

Please enter your e-mail address or username below. Your username and password will be sent to the e-mail address you provided us.

or
Webmonkey is a property of Wired Digital.
processing...

Welcome to Webmonkey

A private profile page has been created for you.
As a member of Webmonkey, you can now:
  • edit articles
  • add to the code library
  • design and write a tutorial
  • comment on any Webmonkey article
Close
Webmonkey is a property of Wired Digital.

Sign In Information Sent

An e-mail has been sent to the e-mail address registered in this account.
If you cannot find it in your in-box, please check your bulk or junk folders.
Sign In
Webmonkey is a property of Wired Digital.

App Store Launch: 552 Applications, 135 of Them Free

By Scott Loganbill July 10, 2008 Categories: Business, Operating Systems, Platforms & APIs, Software & Tools

iPhone developer house Pinch Media has analyzed the App Store numbers, listing the number of apps and what they will cost you. Of the 550-plus applications available right now, about 25 percent of them can be downloaded free of charge.

Apple’s App Store, where customers can buy applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, opened its doors Thursday morning.

Pinch’s research shows developers are flocking to the OS and mobile devices, displaying what may be the first tipping point towards mass adoption of internet enabled mobile devices. According to Pinch Media:

On AppStore launch, Pinch Media counted 552 applications - 417 of them paid, 135 of them free. Paid applications ranged in price from $0.99 to $69.99, with the most common price points being $0.99 (85 applications), $9.99 (82 applications), and $4.99 (62 applications).

552 applications at launch is a pretty impressive number, especially if you consider less than 20 applications were available (by legit means, anyway) for the iPhone and iPod Touch prior to today’s launch.

This number is sure to grow once more developers jump on board, and considering the hype surrounding the App Store and the iPhone, it is easy to see these numbers jump higher. Add the possibility of revenue and businesses might be able to thrive on this software market.

According to an interview in the New York Times, Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs says Apple is “not trying to be business partners” with application developers, preferring to sell iPhones instead. Yet, the company is taking 30 percent of any revenue generated on the store. Did we mention Apple programmed its devices so the only way to download and install applications on the proprietary devices is through iTunes? Natch.

That said, locked-in and exorbitant phone network pricing plans and iPhone third-party development restrictions could possibly put a crimp on growth while open-sourced and Linux-enabled mobile operating systems like Open Moko and Android threaten to catch up… someday.

Tags: android, app store, Apple, iPhone, open moko
Post Comment Comments Permalink Print
Reddit Digg
 
Subscribe now

Special Offer For Webmonkey Users

WIRED magazine:
The first word on how technology is changing our world.

Subscribe for just $10 a year