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Gadgets Billionth Download Made from App Store
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - April 24, 2009 10:20 AM
Print 42 comment(s) - last by themannn.. on Apr 28 at 6:34 PM
The person who made the billionth download will get about $13,000 in prizes

Despite how some consumers feel about Apple products, few will argue that Apple has some of the most desirable products and best product marketing on the planet. Apple has dominated the mobile music player market and is now conquering the smartphone market with its iPhone.

To go along with the iPhone, Apple launched its App Store last year that provided third-party applications for the handset ranging from video games to productivity apps. The App Store was a raging success from the start with over $30 million in sales during its first full month of operation.

This week Apple announced that the billionth download had been made from the App Store. A contest was running as the countdown to one billion downloads ran and the contest is now over. The one-billionth download was made yesterday by an unnamed user. Apple says that it will announce who made the billionth download soon.

The person who made the record setting download stands to get a serious gift package including $10,000 in iTunes credit, a 17-inch MacBook Pro, a 32GB iPod touch and a Time Capsule backup system. Apple says that in all it will give away $13,000 in prizes for the contest. All App downloader's were automatically entered into the contest.

Apple's App Store is so popular and has generated so much revenue that most all smartphone makers are now readying their own versions of the App Store, each trying to be slightly different from the Apple offering.

Information Week reports that the Google App store will be more open, the RIM store for the Blackberry will be more enterprise focused, the Ovi store from Nokia will be geared towards social networking and location-based services, and the Windows Marketplace from Microsoft will allow users to be billed by their carriers and offer a refund period.

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Maths is weird.
By ipay on 4/27/2009 7:07:41 AM , Rating: 2
30 Million Iphones and Ipod touches sold according to http://venturebeat.com/2009/03/17/iphone-30-event-... That means each owner downloaded around 300 apps. Seriously? Can that be right?




RE: Maths is weird.
By ipay on 4/27/2009 7:09:19 AM , Rating: 2
Gah 30. Need an edit button.


RE: Maths is weird.
By QueBert on 4/27/2009 6:58:18 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, I have downloaded well over 30, I have paid for 70 or so. And no, I'm not in the minority. If you go on the store and read some of the reviews, you will see a plenty of people who bought 4 or 5 different $1-3 apps that do the same thing to find the one they liked the best. While I haven't done this, I have spent over $200 in the app store. Between jailbroken and iTunes apps I have well over 100 apps installed on my Touch. While 30 might not be the average, there are people like me. I'd estimate since it launched I've installed about 600 different apps at one point or another.


RE: Maths is weird.
By themannn on 4/28/2009 6:34:49 PM , Rating: 2
I think who won actually bothers me... a 13 year old has no business having an iphone. And the fact that he just gets more stuff makes me angry, well that part is mostly jealousy, but at least im willing to admit it. but more seriously whats with this. I worked at a summer camp for a while and i will never forget this. A girl told me she was getting a cell phone for graduating. I asked what she graduated. her reply was... "elementary school." That means what she was 11 maybe? I think its just crazy, and the fact that this kid who won is 13 and responsible for iphone just shows some parents cannot say no... madness.

-themannn

check me out http://www.brainsgained.blogspot.com/


Baby Shaker
By Kefner on 4/24/2009 11:18:09 AM , Rating: 1
Maybe Baby Shaker was the 1 billionth download!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/biztech/04/24/cnet.ap...




RE: Baby Shaker
By Aloonatic on 4/24/2009 12:08:11 PM , Rating: 2
Could have been the gaming sensation of the year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8015705.stm

Seriously though, what on Earth were they thinking?

Is it possible to download from any other site or install applications from any other source by the way? If there is only 1 site to get apps from then it's not really surprising that that one sate has a lot of downloads.


RE: Baby Shaker
By PrinceGaz on 4/24/2009 12:52:11 PM , Rating: 2
You need to jailbreak your iPhone/iPod Touch to download apps from other places (those "other places" tending to be binary newsgroups and p2p networks where you'll find pirated copies of many many apps).


Heh
By Smilin on 4/24/2009 12:51:58 PM , Rating: 5
"Want to shake a baby to death? There's an app for that."




Heh, Heh. . .
By blueboy09 on 4/26/2009 3:10:42 AM , Rating: 2
Lucky bastard who won the prize, but this still wouldn't be an incentive for me to ever purchase anything from Apple. Their prices are considered waaaaay too high, IMO. Don't get me wrong, Apple has some decent products, but their accessories are not worth the money, since you can get other MP3's with accessories for nearly half of the amount. I have a Sansa Fuze, and I get built in microSD support, and a free FM radio which really works great. Hell, I've even recorded FM radio on it, and it's VERY comparable to high-end MP3. Does Apple products have that built-in? I don't think so. Enough said. - BLUEBOY




RE: Heh, Heh. . .
By dbauer2000 on 4/27/2009 8:29:19 AM , Rating: 2
<sarcasm>Wow, your MP3 player can play FM RADIO??? Awesome!<sarcasm>

Sorry, just had to go there. There are several apps for stream radio and not just from your city, from many, many, cities to the iPhone (tunin.fm), along with apps for streaming internet Radio (Pandora, Flycast).


$10,000 iTunes Credit?
By SnakeBlitzken on 4/27/2009 4:44:47 PM , Rating: 2
Even the most hard-core user would have a hard time using 10K in the near future. Great way to claim a large cash prize that you know will be a long time in paying out.

I've been a PC person all my life but just recently got an iphone to keep up with personal business email (pop3) while at my day job. I love this phone. Most of the apps are just for kicks but ones like the File and Print share that allows me to print to my printer and transfer files to my home pc are worth the $6.




RE: $10,000 iTunes Credit?
By QueBert on 4/27/2009 7:01:23 PM , Rating: 2
I could blow thru $10k on iTunes in music alone within a week. Lots of albums I'd love to own but I'm too cheap to buy. I could probably use up the entire amount as fast as I can search and click "buy album" While I would rather have cash, if Apple was to GIVE me a card of this value I would burn it up on the quickness :D


Fake counter???
By majorpain on 4/24/2009 1:52:06 PM , Rating: 1
Being the counter a fake, dont think the winner will be such a winner...




RE: Fake counter???
By icanhascpu on 4/24/2009 4:33:16 PM , Rating: 2
I can haz cheeseburger?


So...?
By fatedtodie on 4/24/2009 10:24:56 AM , Rating: 1
Why does it matter that Apple sold its billionth app? 95% of the apps are about as worthless as used toilet paper. Wow a fart "machine" wow a phone book gee I wish one of those was available... ON THE INTERNET. Ugh Apple fanboys can cheer all they want but it is just a meaningless excuse for press.




RE: So...?
By QueBert on 4/24/2009 8:26:47 PM , Rating: 1
ONE BILLION, that's a large number. Regardless of what you think of the apps they offer (some are awesome) one billion is damn impressive. I have apps from their store that allow me to create studio quality beats, VNC into clients PCs, use Skype and a lot of other things. If all one billion downloads had been the iBeer app it would still be a fucking feat worth bragging about. It means the iTunes store is being used, which means it's a success. I'm sure the fact you find it meaningless will cause Apple to take it offline for good ASAP.


Impressive
By SpaceRanger on 4/24/2009 10:30:06 AM , Rating: 2
Quite an impressive number, but aren't you able to download some apps from the App Store for free? I wonder just how many of the free downloads account for to 1 billion?




still a lotta downloads
By elrolio on 4/24/2009 11:07:22 AM , Rating: 2
yes, most of those billion apps downloaded are free. still means the app store is a success, and they are raking in cash from crappy apps that are low to no consideration price levels. which i'd almost say is under 2 bucks (as a guess)




Winner?
By Devo2007 on 4/24/2009 3:08:44 PM , Rating: 2
This article says that it's the person who downloaded the billionth app that won the big Apple prize -- but Apple had a section on the contest page where you could enter your name without downloading an app.

Are you saying that part was just for show? If so, that doesn't seem right. Not saying someone who filled out the form should get the prize, but they should have at least been given an entry as stated in the contest rules.




Why ?
By depravedone on 4/24/09, Rating: -1
RE: Why ?
By Clauzii on 4/24/2009 10:53:34 AM , Rating: 2
Not durable?

Pretty Ruff, actually: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXlriABfOo


RE: Why ?
By XabanakFanatik on 4/24/2009 12:19:36 PM , Rating: 2
Those were some terrible tests. Try some REAL abuse.

I know someone who's iPhone fell out of his pocket as he sat down into his car. It couldn't have fallen more than four feet and the screen completely shattered.

The only reason it doesn't scratch is because it's like a damn diamond. Hard as hell but if you drop it, it's gonna shatter.

On the other hand, my LG Shine has been thrown across rooms, dropped from head height onto hard concrete floors (many times, actually. It seems when I'm in the gym I get slippery hand syndrome and it constantly comes flying out of my hand), and crushed underneath my fat ass and it still is indestructable.


RE: Why ?
By Clauzii on 4/25/2009 12:58:15 AM , Rating: 2
It's true that the 3G models screen is less resistant to hard bumps as the old 2G generation. It seems like they haven't put a little rubber between the screen and the phone-shell or something.

Or like the screen is hardened 'too much' compared to the old??


RE: Why ?
By Sazar on 4/27/2009 3:01:59 PM , Rating: 2
I've dropped mine on concrete, tarmac and brick-lined roads in down-town Austin over a several month period. I have a case my phone is in and I don't even have a scratch.

I don't doubt it will shatter if dropped at the wrong angle, but mine is chugging along just fine.


RE: Why ?
By grath on 4/27/2009 7:49:44 PM , Rating: 2
I have mine in the cheapest rubber Speck case and I drop it literally almost every day to no ill effect as of yet. Usually from 3-4 feet out of my shirt pocket when I lean over, yet after a year of it falling I still put it in that pocket...

Just that little bit of rubber around the edges, corners, and back seems enough to dampen the high-g shock that would otherwise probably crack the screen. Even direct straight down hits to the corners from 4 feet havent hurt it yet. The only thing I really worry about when it routinely falls is that there might be some object on the floor that could impact the unprotected screen side. Against a flat surface the rubber edges prevent any contact with the screen.

Again thats a Speck rubber case for it, was like $25, and if you cant spend that to protect a $500 device then stick with a grannyphone.

Just realized that given my extensive experience with dropping iPhones this is probably the closest Ive come to being a subject matter expert when posting. :P


RE: Why ?
By General Disturbance on 4/24/2009 3:26:04 PM , Rating: 2
Very flimsy/weak design in my opinion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxq90xmYUs


RE: Why ?
By Clauzii on 4/25/2009 1:02:37 AM , Rating: 2
LOL. I'll guess not many phones will blend then ;)


RE: Why ?
By afkrotch on 4/24/2009 11:05:24 AM , Rating: 5
Many ppl want a phone that has multiple uses, so they don't have to carry around multiple devices.

Carry around just a smartphone instead of a phone, laptop, mp3 player, etc.

Me, I don't care for a phone that doesn't have actual buttons. I don't want to have to look at my phone to dial.


RE: Why ?
By Chocobollz on 4/24/09, Rating: 0
RE: Why ?
By DuctTapeAvenger on 4/24/2009 12:04:30 PM , Rating: 2
Yes you are. He stated that he does not care for phones that do not have physical buttons. Meaning that any phone, such as the iPhone that has only the touch interface would be worthless to him.


RE: Why ?
By afkrotch on 4/24/2009 12:59:31 PM , Rating: 3
I can simplify the sentence.

- I like phones with real buttons, that way I don't have to look at my phone to dial.


RE: Why ?
By Anfernee on 4/24/09, Rating: 0
RE: Why ?
By depravedone on 4/24/2009 11:37:49 AM , Rating: 2
I can guarantee I'm not the only one. I'm also not the only one that doesn't care for or wish to use a PDA.


RE: Why ?
By xti on 4/24/2009 2:03:40 PM , Rating: 3
name 1 product that has to appeal to all people. its a luxury, you cant be mad at a phone device maker trying to encompass multiple markets in one swoop.

seriously, idk where this 'it has to be for me or die' mentality comes from lately from consumers.


RE: Why ?
By Omega215D on 4/24/2009 4:56:36 PM , Rating: 2
The general US population has become the 'Me' Generation on crack.


RE: Why ?
By chris2618 on 4/24/2009 11:40:03 AM , Rating: 3
Actually alot of people just want a phone that can call and txt and some want a camera and that's it.

Also most like the idea that if they lose there phone its not that much of a big loss.


RE: Why ?
By murphyslabrat on 4/24/2009 11:47:06 AM , Rating: 2
and for that, we have cheapo $100 phones. For everyone else, there's Mastercard...which they will need to cover the phone and the associated data plan.


RE: Why ?
By afkrotch on 4/24/2009 1:05:08 PM , Rating: 2
Yep yep. A few ppl in my office want just a phone. They don't use any texting, cameras, etc. One of the ppl has a candybar phone that uses e-paper for a screen. I don't think it's even sophisticated enough to text.

Japan has similiar phones. Where it looks like a cordless phone that you'd see in a house, but it's a cellphone. Just a speaker, mic, and buttons. No screen at all.

Me, I love having many things combined into a phone. Phone, texting, camera, e-money, gps, and tv. Course I'd love it more if the batteries lasted a longer time, as all the other features drain battery.


RE: Why ?
By Sazar on 4/27/2009 3:05:25 PM , Rating: 2
lol. Yep, exactly :)

I use my phone mainly for Pandora and for texting and calling.

All other things are nice to haves and believe me, I have been out on many occasions where we needed to look up something and, no one else could do it but my little phone. It comes in handy.

I could do without but it definitely improves my life in little ways that add up.

And, everyone has their own preferences. Even with a blackberry or an iphone, YMMV depending on your lifestyle and your usage parameters.


RE: Why ?
By tdawg on 4/24/2009 4:06:39 PM , Rating: 2
For me, one of the big advantages of having a smartphone is the easy ability to sync it with my pc. If I lose my phone, all the information is not lost, rather it's easily transferable to a replacement phone.

With my old "dumb" phones, losing it meant losing anything I had stored on it that I didn't manually duplicate on other devices.

So, losing my smartphone is actually easier to stomach (datawise) than my old "dumb" phone. The cost of replacing the device is still painful, of course.


RE: Why ?
By winterspan on 4/24/2009 3:03:17 PM , Rating: 2
just wondering... How old are you?


RE: Why ?
By download7 on 4/24/2009 3:19:43 PM , Rating: 2
I think phones should be phones, not a whole way of life


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