Microsoft makes a funny with Marketplace 'apps lab'
By Paul Miller 
posted Oct 21st 2009 9:30PM
posted Oct 21st 2009 9:30PM
[Via TUAW]
posted Oct 21st 2009 9:30PM
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When did they get the "will it blend" guy?
uh....i'm not refusing to use iphone or anything, but i just switched back from the 3GS to the new HTC Pure........what does that mean for me...
I have an ipod, iphone, and mac pro.
I like my ipod, I've had it for years, and though the battery isn't very good anymore, I will continue to use it until it completely dies. I can control it in my coat pocket while walking, and for that reason alone I refuse to get an ipod touch. If ZuneHD is still the best thing around when I finally replace it, I may give that a try. Though it still a touch screen, the benefits of the ZuneHD over the itouch are worth it to me.
My iphone is iffy. At first it was cool, but now that the coolness has worn off it's major weaknesses are showing. The app store is pure crap and I hate anyone who defends it as gloriously as Apple does. Battery life is horrible, and many of the network problems it has are not strictly because of AT&T. I have AT&T friends who do not own an iphone and they get great signal and fast 3G in the same spots where me and my iphone friends are getting pissed at our phones.
The MacPro I have because I edit video. I only use OSx while running final cut. Other than that Windows (7 is a God btw) runs on it all the time. OSx, including Snow Leopard, is just one big pile of shit. I hate how stupid it makes me feel, not letting me do things the way I want to do them. And don't even get me started on the dock. The dock is OSx's greatest abomination. Always popping up in the way, windows hiding behind it, no real window management. Just horrible.
I like Windows better, but clearly I've tried Apple products. They aren't all they're cracked up to be.
I like all the Apple whiners who think anybody who disses an Apple product is a hater. They obviously are in denial about their products because they paid such a high price for them.
Ugh i hate the mentality. I only use the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST argument. even though I do not consider endless crappy apps as a critia for best...
a persons phone should be a personalized thing. Why are theseiphone lovers insisting other people have an iphone? Are we supposed to join your cult? Ya know that 1984 Apple commerical is beginning to make me think of Apple and its users in the 21st century.
Join us..one of us...resistance is futile.
i dont use microsoft products because they create sensitive fanboys like you.
@Nicholas
Really? You´d think that the fact that their products are excrement would be enough...
@Jordan
So why do you use FCP and a Mac Pro? It probably makes you feel stupid, you know, with that timeline always getting in your way and all.
Now Engadget has deleted my post because I stated I did not like MS.
What is this? Red China?
@Greg: Maybe I'm missing something, but your comment makes no sense. If you know anything FCP is basically THE video editing software, next to Adobe Premiere. Since FCP is written by Apple and only runs on a Mac, well the two go hand in hand that yeah I would be using a Mac.
What's stupid is the dock always blocking the timeline. Hide the dock if you want, fine, but then you move the mouse down there to do some work and the dock pops up in your face completely hindering your work. Put the dock on the side of the screen, then you move the mouse over there to do some work and up pops the dock in your face, again completely hindering your work. There is no win situation with the dock.
Hey guys, Jordan owns Apple products, mmmkay? Oh and also, OJ didn't do it and Bush was the best president the US has ever had.
True story folks.
@ Jordan.
If you do editing, you should seriously look at SpeedEDIT from Newtek. Fastest editor I've ever used. It's CC and other extras are not as robust as Final Cut, but you can throw just about any file format, any resolution, at it, and it works. And no need to get a plug in to support m2t files.
For creative editing, it kicks FCP, Avid etc in the arse. A lot.
@Jordan
You make no sense because you claim that Apple sucks at writing software, yet FCP is "THE" software. You're moaning about the dock. For real? You're reaching bro.
(Just turn off magnification and hiding. FCP won't let the dock get in the way...)
@ Greg
So basically what you're saying is as long as Apple produces one good program, it automatically makes up for all the other poorly written ones?
Like iTunes which tries to force you to give credit card info just to access album art (yes, I know there is a way around it, but finding that information is not the easiest thing to do). Perfectly sensible. And to download free apps on the iPhone/iPod Touch. And gives you little to no control over how it stores your ripped music (I'll admit, I looked for like 10 minutes to find that option. Maybe I should have looked longer). And that ripped CD is then put into folders by artist, which to be honest, is understandable, but it is even more sensible to do it not by the album artist, but instead by who performs the song.
Can you tell iTunes is the reason I ditched the iPhone?
I'll give credit where credit is due, Apple made awesome Mp3 players, and they still produce Mp3 players that have really nice features, but I can buy more for less by losing the Apple name.
Back to the actual article, as much of a MS fanboy I may be, their attempt at an app store was pathetic at best.
Back off topic, WinMo can do some nice things, but why is finding one with a touchscreen, a hardware keyboard and a standard headphone jack so daggone HARD?!
Appstore is a great way to load apps to your mobile, the ease of use cannot be discounted. It was a concept unheard of and hence picked up by winmo, android/droid, palm.
Thousands of apps signify the energy of the apple developers who want to build apps for the platform, do not strike out EA games and the other serious brands out there who are developing apps for the same platform.
Pro-aps: Do you want MS Office on your phone? Seriously? Get a laptop... Editing or making a PPT / Word document / Spread sheet. These apps are for the laptop / desktop computers. Have you ever worked on a professional PPT/Doc/Excell sheet? Do you know what it takes to make a Pro-level document for a Pro-presentation or proposal? You do not connect a phone to a projector to present your documents, that is seriously sad if you plan to do so, no pro does that and even if you tried yd be laughed at. What apple did was to provide an app that connects to your laptop and controls your presentation. Providing you control over the presentation without touching your laptop, Just the way the itunes remote works. (Keynote presentations only). If you want PPT support then you better ask MS for it.
Do not compare the iphone with windows mobile. Windows mobile is very advanced in many ways, so advanced that a general user cannot figure out how to use it. This is the reason why HTC provides a UI layer above winmo to make it look simple. A kid can figure out an iphone in no time, my dad who fumbles with the TV remote is comfortable with the iphone and "Just knows" how to use it.
When apple says they have thousands of apps, it means it has a strong developer community that is eager to bring in just about any app that they can think of, only because of the strong SDK that helps developers bring their ideas to life real quick real easy. they price it less because they know what they made may not be worth much, most are let out for free, but most of the developers only return with more ideas and better apps. This is how you drive the community, app development on symbian/nokia is disgusting. Windows mobile, well I dont even wanna go there. I am sorry.
Why I love apple? Its because of their love for music and the way they plan out stuff, even in their plans, its pure symphony. Scattered development that ppl cant figure out but in the end it all converges to create a simple concept that beats their competitors silly.
They are all about seamless convergence and user experience, ppl love the experience part of apple. If a product does not excite me, I will not pay any attention to it. In that palm has done a good job and has to catch up to apple in many ways. They have it in them to do a lot of damage to apple.
Android is great but lacks hardware power, If droid fizzles out then its bad news for both google and motorola (not sure if its motorola). Android also lacks PR like apple, still it will thrive because most phone mfg's are tired of winmo and symbian. They want software like itunes, app stores, easy SDK's, mobileme like services. So they squeeze MS for it and MS feels the pressure to invest more into services like these. Hence steve balmer is so pissed at apple.
Please do not look at just the phone but the underlying services that actually help make it what it is. Apple never said iPods are great, they always said it was iTunes which drove ipod sales. Others do not get it. Just with itunes they are driving iPhone, Touch, ipod, apple tv and the music/movie/tv business. That is symphony and the we all know no matter how huge the orchestra may be, it can only be driven by one whos got a stick and command to make music out of it. El jobs...
Back on topic:
I liked it. I don't really care what anyone else thinks.
I honestly think a lot of people who hate Apple haven't even tried a mac... I used to hate Apple and I mean HAAATTE Apple. Make fun of my friends who had anything by them, say they were overpriced fashion accessories, bought a Cowon iAudio, etc. The fact of the matter is they just work. The kernel they were built on is very solid. I write and produce music, and they're great for that and everyday life. THEY ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE. Nothing is. However, please don't hate them because they're beautiful (aka little rich daddies girls carry around macbooks to match their look). They are also well made computing machines that are highly useful, pay close attention to detail in their software (trackpad uses that have saved me hours of time), dependable, and..... ok yes they are overpriced like hell.
windows may work for some of you. 7 especially. But everyone has at least tried a windows computer once in their life. A lot of Apple flamers and haters have never actually sat down with a mac for a few hours. Give it a try. I couldn't stand them, finally tried my friends, literally used expose... and switched. iPod's still a joke as far as sound quality, and the phone is slick... but ... eh
everyone use what works best for them. when we be able to finally settle this?
@Jordan
Thank you... I was beginning to think I was the only reluctant iphone user in the world. Had an HTC Hero before I got the 3GS... I miss my Hero. The only two things I like about my iphone is the browser (which is awsome - for a mobile browser), and the onscreen keyboard which is marginally better than the one on the hero.
So am I elite, or am I elite? 8)
Everyone look at all the cool guys posting here.
@jordan
You do not own a mac. Stop lying and stop making up stories to seem cool to all the pc guys. One thing I hate the most on this site, is people claiming they have tried or owned a product and they really don't. All the crap you brought up in your little rant is easy to make up because because of course everyone who has a mac love to "video edit." People may have ranked you highly, but I see through your bs and I have read your past posts. You don't own mac products, you act like you do to try to make a point.
@Jsocontrer: I do own a Mac, everything I stated was true. Would you like me to take a picture of it for you? Because I will.
I'm a video editor, we use Final Cut. Hence I use Final Cut. It's not BS. Nothing annoys me more than people who won't believe anyone who doesn't love an Apple product.
Android
@Jordon : Your comment about not being able to do things the way you want on Apple, made me think about this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqh-3xBVHYA
I just thought it was funny.
It seems like people either love, or hate the doc. No matter what their view on the Mac OS is. :-)
@Rifter that was freekin awesome lol! i remember using macs back in the day too, horrifically slow n problematic.
meh
"meh" is giving it too much credit.
Definitely worse than "meh". It would have been absolutely amazing had one thing been different; MS should have submitted their lame apps to the iTunes store, and then made fun of them. That would have made this pretty funny.
Very 90's.
If they were aiming for a G rated College Humor reject quality short, they nailed it.
Agreed. Ignoring the flamewar comments around this one; did anyone else think this was just cringe-wrothy, rather than actually funny?
Maybe Microsoft should hire the same ad agency that created Sony's PS3 Slim adverts... in the USA, that is.
That -is- how I felt. It was like watching someone's school presentation totally miss the mark. The humor was terrible. The sound effects in the background were a really bizarre and amateurish. The whole bit had an infomercial vibe.
I don't know, for all the multitude of Apps in the Apple Store, I have yet to see them come out with nearly as many useful apps as can be found on websites all around the internet for WinMo phones.
You know, Winmo may be the ugly stepchild of windows, but like symbian, it's damn hard to beat the utility offered without any sort of unlocking or otherwise manipulating the stock software.
Joikuspot combine with amazing battery life and signal strength are the main reasons why Symbian is so loved in the road warrior community, I think Winmo offers similar functionality.
Wow you named so many wonderful and useful apps I can see why they're blowing the pants off Apple's app store. I'm positive there's nothing similar to what you've named nor will there ever be in their store. With Apple being in the phone OS market for so many years coupled with the wide array of devices available with their OS one would think they could match those oh so wonderful apps you mentioned.
Isn't that because WinMo is moreso aimed at professionals while the iPhone is aimed at college students/starbucks fans/hipsters/trendsters/spoiled children?
Wow, that claim that 90% of apps are useless is such BULLSH**T. You really think that Apple lets 60 thousand fart apps in? It doesn't. The rotten stuff gets rejected. Stop generalizing things based on what someone else said.
@high
whuh?
It wasn't someone else who told me, it was all the nights I got no sleeping messing with my stupid Iphone to get reliable 3g wifi tethering, mass storage support, and radio (used to listen to an FM broadcast information service in our DC) realizing it was fruitless.
Then picking up a 5800XM from Amazon and realizing that 10 minutes after I had it out of the box, I was loading files onto the phone via copy and paste on a winXP machine, while listening to the radio and posting on engadget from my 3G connection that the almighty app store was useless to me.
No one ever said that the App store doesn't have great applications, but the core argument is for many professional sectors, Apple's Iphone does not offer what we need, and this is why Symbian (world wide) and Winmo (USA) remain such dominant players in the business world.
I agree with you, and I disagree with the content in the post, about how MS should be avoiding the topic of Apple's App Store. The App Store has always had a pretty high proportion of garbage, and it increasingly has problems due to that reason. It's virtually unsearchable, really. The fact that you can easily download apps along with other content through the iTunes store was a great feature of the iPhone OS 2.0+ -- a feature originally debuted on Cydia. The fact that anyone can submit anything to the App Store has not been such an unequivocal success. The number of apps that have been developed for the iPhone, only to be quickly abandoned, would be interesting to find out.
WM, on the other hand, has a very mature, possibly too mature, app development infrastructure dating from Windows CE. The quality of 3rd party WM apps has always been high, and the prices, though much higher than apps for the iPhone, were generally reasonable and usually included lots of free updates and cheaper upgrade prices to newer versions.
isn't Blackberry king of the business world?? When I think high-speed business users I don't think of them pounding out emails and making "business" decisions on a windows mobile HTC pure. I don't think any middle-aged business dude could even figure that thing out....
considering one of the senior partners in a firm we've been working with tried using his brand new toy, a palm pre, upside down for about a minute before realizing he needed to flip it over, I'd say they need dumb simplicity and speed, not depth of apps
90% of the apps ARE USELESS.
How many different Weather apps do you need? Most people - 1. For people who really care about weather maybe a couple. I just did a quick search on weather and it's page after page of weather apps. 99% of which contain the exact same functionality as the few big ones (weatherbug, accuweather, etc).
Go down the list and you will see that theme throughout the entire app store. I just tried searching on calculator. Stopped hitting the button to see the next 25 once I got below 150 different calculator apps. Come one. Again, the calculator that comes with the device is fine for 90% of the population. The rest are highly specialized calculators that basically do one thing - one thing that can easily be done on a variety of web sites. Those get counted as apps but they are worthless to most every person. In reality you could pare down the list of calculator apps to maybe a dozen.
The point is that having a ton of apps means NOTHING. What's much more important is having quality applications. I would take 200 amazing apps over 100,000 crappy apps any day of the week.
I want the app that shocks you... idk why. Probably because I never answer my phone.
I want the mustache app, because I would be funnier than these guys at it. Comedy fail otherwise.
Well, the commercial didn't really show us THEIR OWN apps, just made fun of Apple's App Store, so ummm....
Would you still compare it with App..le store if Engadget didn't?
Isn't that what all Apple ads do?
Believe it or not, I didn't even read the article first, I saw the video...so I would still compare it to the app store. Though I think I saw the mustache app on a T-Mobile MyTouch 3G commercial.
@lotzj07
Yea, I admit the Mac ads don't really say anything about their products most of the time, but this has to do with the Appstore ads.
Unfortunately for Engadget, we'd think the last thing it would want to do is draw more attention to their favor for Apple.
Completely agree with you on that. Yeah it's a shoddy commercial and all that, but the biased comments are a tad off the deep end.
Usually I take pleasure in dumping on Microsoft, but this was just kind of sad.