The App Store…

10 July, 2008

After reading in multiple places that there was a leaked version of iPhone 2.0 that was working and readily available, I did the only logical thing one can do with unverified software and a $400 piece of hardware that is as important as their right arm - I installed it.

So, before I get to the store let me talk a bit about the OS update.

It's quick, there are a number of great new settings that I'd been hoping for and it installs easily enough. It seems to be a good performance update to go with the features that are added as well. But, the OS is boring right now, so on to the item of the hour: the App Store.

It looks nice, on both the phone and in iTunes. The layout is predictable, which is good for those of us who have been using the iTunes store for years now. There is one key difference from buying a song/movie/ringtone (as outlined here). When you click buy you buy... no confirmation or anything. Some reviewers are saying that this is bad UI, i'm not sure. I mean, it is a button that says "buy" ... how many things can that mean?

But downloading after a purchase is smooth both through iTunes and iPhone (yes I am pathetic enough to have done both already). The app installs automatically (with a nice loading image on the icon when you buy through the phone store). There is nothing difficult about the install, and uninstall seems to be as simple as deselecting it from the new "applications" tab in the iPhone admin screen in iTunes.

So far every application I've tried has been above my expectations.

CroMag Rally is fun, though it was challenging to get the controls down - using the screen you're viewing as a steering device is strange, but still effective.
Facebook and Myspace work just like their web app counterparts, but faster and prettier.
MLB At Bat is flat out awesome for a baseball fan. Live scores, almost live video highlights (very acceptable quality on the videos too). This should be a great helper for work days that would normally take precedence over day games!
NetNewsWire feels like a natural companion to the desktop app - and that is a great thing because the desktop app is one of my favorites on Mac OSX.
Remote by Apple is a huge winner in my book. It controls iTunes or an TV. It's very nice. You can search your entire library, click what you want to see/hear, and almost immediately it's playing.

The only real downside to the updates so far is that it takes a lot longer to sync an iPhone. Apparently it's backing up the phone though, so if it ever saves me from losing data, I can live with it.

In related news, the TV 2.1 update is super as well. Along with the iPhone remote support it got a HUGE performance increase.

So it was a good day all around for Apple nerds!