maemo.org - Talk - [Maemo 5] We need more apps! Why aren't there more applications in Ovi Store and Extras?

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Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

For my part i ve created a small shareware game, VectorMine

So as it s a shareware i should be able to put my game into extras and user that want to register and got their serial code can do it on my website.

But as the QA Testing is mess, the web package interface is full of bugs, i was never been able to push my game to extras ...

So i've stop some paid app project i ve for this plateform, now i just bug fix my old open source softwares.

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndi (Post 641588)

Oh boy. Is it as slow as I imagine? Is it usable (as in functionality)? Is it hard to install, or simply go EasyDebian and the apt-get (sorry, Windows admin here)?

im using it when im doing a new word document. its also good when you are editing files.. yes its kinda slow, but with my phone overclocked at 900mhz, its better and it loads faster...

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody14619 (Post 641803)

Sorry, but that's bullocks. :) DRM does not secure things, just ask any company that's used it in the past 20 years. People crack it just as quickly as it comes out, and in the end it's the consumer that loses when the company goes out of business or stops supporting it's DRM. (Just ask all the abandoned media player folks who have DRM music on media players that have no server to confirm with now... there are several.)

The real problem is you have to have something nice that people are willing to pay for, and because OVI can't seem to get it right, you have to do things yourself. After the Angry Birds mess it's no suprise that vendors are shying away from it. In fact, there's a pretty good revenue idea for someone interested in doing it: Setup a better store.

Want to see an example? Head to JoikuSpot.com. They sell an app for the N900 to do wifi-tethering. They setup their own repository, which installs a deb package with an executable bundled to your ID. (It dynamically packages it based on the link name from what I can tell.) Then they e-mail you an application key, which you enter into the app the first time you fire it up. That key activates (now knowing more about your system, like the IMEI) and you can update all you like from that device for that product. But you can't just copy it to friends simply as a deb and expect it to work.

Sure, if someone really wanted to, they could probably figure out how it works and copy it to their friend. But at €7, it's just not worth it to go through that hassle. (Where the $3 vs copying a deb file may be...)

The key to selling anything in a software market is to make it just a little more annoying to copy than it's worth price wise. Opensource has the added disadvantage :confused: that several things are already available because it's easier to port than to re-code. Why buy Worms when you can get the linux version for free?

l think thats what sygic did. i mean suree u can download it free bur if ur not really tech savy it can be a pain n the butt. the prob with this ( @lwast for sygic) is th5 even the paid for app is a pain n the butt to install

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndi (Post 641588)

Oh boy. Is it as slow as I imagine? Is it usable (as in functionality)? Is it hard to install, or simply go EasyDebian and the apt-get (sorry, Windows admin here)?

I see you already got a few answers, but as I read your question, there's something left unanswered.

Once you have EasyDebian installed, you do not need to apt-get, because OpenOffice is preinstalled with EasyDebian.

Also, to be a bit more accurate when it comes to installing EasyDebian; you download an installer from the repository, not EasyDebian itself. When you run it, the installer asks you where to save the huge, huge EasyDebian file, then it downloads it. Which takes quite a bit of time. As in, hours.

Once it's downloaded, the installer waits for user feedback, then it unpacks it. While it unpacks it, your cell phone is quite unresponsive. This also takes quite a while.

After that, it's done installing, and you get a few new icons around in the menus. Including one for OpenOffice and one for the disgrase of a program that is known as Gimp, reigning world champion in redundant "file" menus.

You should reboot, to get your phone back to responsiveness.

At least this is how I remember it.

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Hey Nokiaman!

Good to see someone with your attitude here!
I'd like to answer you, but it's a little long, I hope you don't mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

I know there is not HUGE amount of apps available but I have yet to pay for any of the ones I have downloaded and used!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

Like I said, devs NEED to get paid for this!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

I feel that if Devs charge for their work they may be motivated to make more. The apps I have tried and used are really cool and work nice.

Actually, this is a heritage from the Linux community. Most of the applications for Linux are FREE, in the truest sense of the word, as in freedom, and stuff.

And, most of the developers do it just for fun.

But I'm sure you can donate money to them if you like to. Noone will say no if you send them some money. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

The recent one I been using is MyTube, this works great, little buggy but I'm sure it will get better.

Well then, contact the author of MyTube, and tell him that you found some bugs, tell him how to reproduce the bugs, that's a lot of help for a developer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

I would not mind paying for such apps, I paid for the apps with WM and Android and many more, why not with the N900?

There are some apps that require you to pay for them (such as Docs to Go, or Sygic), but most of them are free.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

So what if it's open thing, I want devs to get paid and make much much more apps.

That's a good thing to hear.
Most people just want everything for free nowadays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

Also, some more games! Action SIMPLE shootem games, nothing complicate. Racing games, and so forth.

Here are some that I play frequently:
- Angry Birds (it is a must have)
- Bounce (it's too short, unfortunately, but you can use it to show off - people will instantly get jealous to your N900 when they see it!)
- Tux Race (now this is HUGE!)
- And finally, if you knew and liked the old Transport Tycoon game, you'll love OpenTTD. (my personal favourite time-consumer game)

Smaller ones:
- If you liked the WM "Bubble Breaker" game, then Blubbels
- Cube (it's a Rubik's cube)
- Impuzzle (play a puzzle game with one of your own images)
- EightyOne (sudoku - my other favourite time-consumer)
- Nako (memory game)
- Labirynth Lite (too short, too)

Quote:

- SPB Wallet. Love this app.

What does it do? Perhaps someone could point you to a right alternative.

Quote:

- An app or hack that will allow me to double click a certain keyboard button so I can open the multiTask screen. I dont like using TWO buttons for this. Or did I miss something BESIDES the top left corner screen?

If there are some apps already open, you can use the top-left corner with a single click to open the dashboard. (Or use Ctrl+Backspace.)
If there are no apps open in the background, it presents you the app menu button there.
Quite logical. But what is it you don't like about it?

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nokiaman (Post 638762)

I feel that if Devs charge for their work they may be motivated to make more. The apps I have tried and used are really cool and work nice.

I actually put enough time into writing my (free) apps that I couldn't make more even if I was paid ;) (I guess there is the whole giving up the day job thing which I[m not interested in)

To get an idea, check my signature. Only one of those was a port of a regular Linux app but it involved an almost complete re-write. I also have two more in the works and 2 more planned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 638800)

There's also the fact that some developers may do it just for their own enjoyment. Or to fill a niche that they felt the N900 lacked.

Good words. I do mine both for niches and for fun.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laughing Man (Post 638800)

a) donate time helping the developer test bugs, or test releases
b) help the developer out in threads (if you understand the software enough) to help answer questions and what not
c) donate code (of course not everyone is a programmer)
d) donate money (if they accept donations). Some developers don't make it obvious though (don't be afraid to send a PM).

I can't stress enough that people helping on threads is a big help as it lets me focus on development. A step above that would be turning posts into bug reports.

I found tracking everyone's feature requests on the forum took too much time away from development so I gave up and only work off of bugzilla (but still do user support through the forum).
I also don't want to take the time to file bugs for everything
Some people just don't want to file bugs for various reasons (not wanting to create Yet Another Account is one)

Re: Why So Many Free Apps For The N900?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ndi (Post 641588)

Oh boy. Is it as slow as I imagine? Is it usable (as in functionality)? Is it hard to install, or simply go EasyDebian and the apt-get (sorry, Windows admin here)?

Well I mean it sure as hell takes its time to load up and get started but then consider that it's a FULL word document editor - you can easily export documents to PDF.

N900 is windows 98ish hardware, which was running office 97 that puts it into perspective. I wouldn't advise using this as a full office editing suite, but if you absolutley must edit some file it's damn well good to atleast have the option!

Is there a reson for the lacking of apps in ovi?

This is purly my speculation and thoughts about why their are hardley any apps on the ovi store for the n900.

I have a feeling the reason that there are very few apps on the ovi store for n900 is the the un-usual orientation for phones in the uk and possibly the size of the screen.

These factors would make porting apps that will be used accross multiple phone platforms a pain in the back side.

Any thoughts on this anyone? did nokia shoot them selves in the foot on this one?

Re: Is there a reson for the lacking of apps in ovi?

Lack of proper payment system discourages commercial developers from what I understand

Re: Is there a reson for the lacking of apps in ovi?

I am not sure buy my guessing is that since maemo 5 the maemo developing team has been busy making the platform stable and fixing the bugs. This is because maemo 5 is pretty new and pretty suffisticated. Maybe because of this, it is harder to make maemo optified/bug free. Also, this 'team' has possibly already been merged with meego and therefore have less time for maemo. And, the meego team was probably significantly smaller than the symbian team due to the amount of devices the symbian OS covers. Finally, and I hope the last is not true, they consider this community to be somewhat self-supporting and therefore lack in the service.

I hope all are not true, just guessing from a kinda neutral point of view