App Store: Does "Free" mean junk?

Does "Free" mean junk? That's the question that this Apple Insider report has had me pondering this morning. According to AI, lucky companies are being assigned iPhone development partners who are encouraging developers to charge for rather than give away their wares. As Apple is due to receive 30% of all sales, they have a vested interest in encouraging commerce but I think the issue goes deeper.

To distribute widgets, you don't need to pay $99/year and you don't have to apply for a program. Apple has the experience of Installer.app to go by, where gems can quickly get lost among other people's "Hello World" applications. I think Apple wants to keep the signal quality high and the noise level low. Perhaps that's why they're pushing for paid serious apps rather than free frivolous ones.

Thanks, Sam.