Steve Jobs: 60 million iPhone apps downloaded, confirms kill switch
By Thomas Ricker 
posted August 11th 2008 1:13AM
posted August 11th 2008 1:13AM
Steve Jobs, presumably speaking from a hyperbaric chamber where he's being nourished with an infusion of liquefied developers-souls before his next public appearance, had a few interesting tidbits about the AppStore for the Wall Street Journal this morning. Namely, users have downloaded some 60 million programs for the iPhone representing sales of about $30 million since the launch last month -- a 30/70 revenue split between Apple and developers, respectively. "The thing's going to crest a half billion soon," Jobs added, "I've never seen anything like this in my career for software." He went on to say that phone differentiation is no longer about radios and antennas (or uh, battery life) but about software. Steve also confirmed the controversial iPhone application kill switch in the event that Apple inadvertently approves a malicious program for distribution. Jobs said, "hopefully we never have to pull that lever, but we would be irresponsible not to have a lever like that to pull." As to the $999.99 I Am Rich application, the dubious download that displayed nothing but a glowing red gem, pulling that from the store was a "judgment" call. Sure, but that doesn't explain how it made it through the vetting process to begin with.
usheep the wolf's got the wool over your eyes so well now you don't even care about what's going on anymore.
Steve Jobs you're an asshat
There are some great free apps
"[U]sers have downloaded some 60 million programs for the iPhone representing sales of about $30 million since the launch last month -- a 30/70 revenue split between Apple and developers, respectively. 'The thing's going to crest a half billion soon,' Jobs added"
Can someone explain to me how Jobs got at his "the thing's going to crest a half billion soon"? If he means downloads, its just barely over 10% of that figure, and its been a month. If he means a half billion in cash, its got even farther to go. Where does he think this half billion is going to come from, particularly "soon"?
Only 50 cents an app? 60M downloads=only $30M bucks?
Or is that a typo...it doesn't jive with the "cresting half a billion"
statement.
This guy thinks it's a publicity stunt by Apple. Hmmm... I hadn't though of that! http://foobets.com/comments/251
It's funny that Jobs thought so little of 3rd party applications until all of the jailbreakers showed so much determination for it. Now he's taking credit for the idea as if it was his plan all along. Some visionary.
Why pull the stupid "I Am Rich" app? Because Apple thought it wasn't cool? Is that really the role that Apple wants to assume? If this is so, are we to assume that every app in the store is approved quality by Apple and we can take all gripes to them?
We love our iPhones but please don't poison the pill.
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I don't see why they removed the gem application. The creator made no false claims about what it did. Why shouldn't it have made it through the vetting process? I'm sure it's not the only application in the app store thats sole useful purpose is for social gains (i.e. some guy thinks he is awesome because he has the app). I am sure I wouldn't find every app in that store useful, I would probably find most of them completely pointless, why does apple get to decide who finds what useful?
As for the legality of it, as I said, he made no false claims, and he was selling a perfectly valid product. Just because it was effectively did nothing, doesn't mean it didn't exist. The law doesn't care what 'consideration' is, it just cares that it exists. They bought something, and because they knew perfectly well what it was (the belief it might have had a secret in it doesn't matter, nobody claimed any such feature), and that it was worthless, it's their own damn fault. This is the same as people buying Microsoft Office and saying "Oh, I thought there might have been a chocolate bar in the box, but there wasn't, I didn't actually want the software, give me my money back!" and the Microsoft recalling office because some stupid people didn't think things through properly. I think Apple's reaction has greater legal consequence than a lousy app. This guy is having his right to do business denied because Apple doesn't find his app useful. Fair enough if it was malicious, unsafe, illegal, pornographic or something, but it wasn't. In fact, it was probably cool looking. Of course Apple have their butts covered because it's their store and they set out the terms of use, but come on Apple, let people make their own stupid decisions, or just provide a warning with the product.
"iphone optimized sites don't count as real internet either, sorry."
I can't wait until people finally reaize that IE optimized and flash only sites are not "real" web sites. iPhone's success is validation that for the 5 year lead Microsoft had they completely missed the popular vote for mobile apps. Apple has a huge adoption rate of new features for iPhone, look how many apps they've sold in just a few months. Sure Windows Mobile has more "real" apps, but nobody really buys them because they won't work on ALL CE phones for a whole bunch of reasons. I have a Windows Mobile phone for work and it's absolutely awful compared to iPhone. I figured out iPhone in 5 minutes at the Apple store, I absolutely hate the layout of CE pretending to be a "little desktop" is downright user hostile.
hmm no copy paste, no 3rd party free apps, no VIDEO RECORDING. i think il stay away from iphone
Really? Wow! We had no idea! Is there a protest I can attend or a petition I can sign?