The Real Problem With iTunes App Store

A number of people have asked me why I, on several occasions, are opting for web based iPhone applications, rather than creating native apps via the App Store.

The answer to this is very simple. It is primarily a question of control. I want to be able to decide when something is released. I want to be able to coordinate a campaign. This is something that is completely impossible with the Apple App Store.

Not only is Apple the only one that can control the apps, they are also the ones who control when it is going to be released - and they refuse to coordinate this with you as a developer.

Today I noticed the best example of this problem. This morning, my iPod Touch notified me that there was a new update for Obama's "election campaign" app. And, the update was submitted to Apple on September 28, 2008 - more than one month ago.

As we all know, many project depends on time. It has to be released on a specific time, and updated instantly if something needs to be changed. This is especially true for an election campaign like Obama's.

In Obama's case, the contact information for the campaign office needed to be corrected, but because of Apple, it wasn't made available until 2 days after the election. A potentially highly critical update didn't reach its audience in time.

I cannot, as an internet manager, accept such a situation. This is why I prefer web based applications - you have full control over the entire project.

The second reason is that with a web based app, I can use the same application for all the mobile platforms